BMHS Case Study

Running head: BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY

Brien McMahon High School

Xiomara Brea

Post University

Rebecca Waters

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BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 2

Introduction

Brien McMahon High School is a secondary public school located in Norwalk, CT. It has a total enrollment of 1,731 students. It serves a diverse student body from grades 9-12. Based on the data reported to the government, the students at BMHS are 34% Hispanic, 27% Black, 32 %

White, 6% Asian, 1% Alaskan Native/American Indian, and 0.3% is 2 or more races. The medium community income in Norwalk in 2012 was $67,888 (“Brien McMahon High School,” n.d.). On the east side of the building, BMHS has the meeting space for the Center for Global

Studies (CGS), which is a magnet program serving the area of Fairfield County. CGS specializes in Arabic Language, Japanese and Chinese culture/language/history. The students from CGS may also take French, Spanish, Latin, or Italian in BMHS, but the students from BMHS cannot take a language in CGS without being admitted into their program.

Past & present of BMHS

Brien McMahon was built in 1957; however, it was opened to students as a junior-senior high school in 1958 graduating its first class in 1962. In 1966, the city of Norwalk built Roton

Middle School, allowing Brien McMahon to open its doors as a four-year high school. Due to overcrowding, in 1971, the ninth graders were transferred to a building that is now the City Hall of Norwalk (“Brien McMahon High School”, n.d.). The school needed to be remodeled and, due to the size of the building, it needed to be upgraded so that it could accommodate the ninth graders, which indeed happened on June 1981. During the school years of 1979-1980 and 1980-

1981, the building went through a major and lengthy reconstruction. In 2002, the field was replaced with an artificial turf field and in the middle of the field is the well-known McMahon

"M” (“Brien McMahon High School,” n.d.).


After the years, the building started to deteriorate, lavatories were undersized and in bad conditions. The administration, along with parents and teachers decided to ask for the city's support. Their effort paid off; in 2006, BMHS went through an enormous renovation process. It is considered the greatest construction project done by the city of Norwalk. The renovation included about 50,000 square feet of classroom, a new heating system, library, roof, gymnasium, tennis court, softball field, and new science and world language classrooms. It also included a chiller for the school and a very large cafeteria. On the east side of the building, they install new exterior and interior walls. The auditorium was remodeled and a meeting space for The Center for Global Studies was annexed to the building. The whole renovation was completed on July

2006 and it cost the city of Norwalk $75 million dollars (“Brien McMahon High School,” n.d.).

In September 29, 2010, they started the Garden Project, where the center courtyard was converted into a garden. The garden is used for the biology and cooking classes and various other classes around the school. This project was possible to volunteering services of teachers, students, and the National Honor Society (“Brien McMahon High School”, n.d.).

The graduation rate at BMHS is 88%, which is the same for the state of CT (“Brien

McMahon High School: Overview,” 2011-2012). In 2013, BMHS ranked worse than 58.8 of high schools in CT, but also ranked # 1 in the district of Norwalk (“Brien McMahon High

School,” n.d.). The school offers many extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports for students to become involved. It also hosts a large Navy Junior Officers Training Corps. The participating cadets receive leadership training every year. The school also offers AP/Honors classes to challenge students and get them prepared for post-secondary education.

Thirty four percent of the student body is Hispanic, and as a service to the students and the parents, the district has a translator (Spanish/English) that may be used during parent-

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 4 teachers meetings, meetings with an administrator, etc. As a service to the Haitian/Creole population, the school also has a teacher assistant/translator in campus five days a week.

Nevertheless, the school does not have a bilingual receptionist to assist parents if they, for any reasons, need to contact the school. The school has a PTA, which does not represent the student body (diversely) equally since its members are mostly Caucasians. The school also has a committee for the Hispanic parents since the majority of them do not speak English. Their meetings are always conducted in Spanish; nevertheless, parents' participation in this committee is also very low.

When it comes to teachers, the school emphasizes the importance of implementing a rigorous curriculum and engaging students. Teachers need to attend professional developments imparted by experts on different learning strategies and to train teachers (as a whole faculty).

Teachers are trained when a new program is going to be implemented in the district. This year, for the first time, the parent portal was made available to parents and the faculty had to attend a training to familiarize them with the program.

Based on the ranking and lack of some resources, it would be fair to assume that BMHS is not completely successful at serving its students. However, other factors must be taken into considerations when deciding if the school is successful at serving its students such as limited budget, newcomers (ELL) to the school, the low socioeconomic status of almost 70% of the students, and parental lack of participation in their children's education, etc.

The school mission's statement states that BMHS will strive to make of its students contributive and productive citizens to society. In addition, the students will be able to learn the value of respect and responsibility, and they will be challenged so that they may become "life-

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 5 long learners" and be able to achieve their academic and personal goals (“Mission Statement,” n.d.).

Technology.

The technologies detailed in the Horizon Report (2013) that would be a great fit in this school are Mobile Learning and Cloud computing. "Mobile learning refers to the use of mobile or wireless devices for the purpose of learning while on the move" (Behera, 2013, p. 1). "Cloud computing refers to expandable, on-demand services and tools that are served to the user via the

Internet from specialized data centers and do not live on a user's device" ( Horizon Repor t, 2013, p. 11). This tool gives "the possibility to ensure efficient and inexpensive data management"

(Georgescu & Matei, 2013, p. 225). Since the school system is in a constrained budget, with cloud adoption the school reduces its costs because "time and infrastructure are not being utilized during off-peak times" (Georgescu & Matei, 2013, p. 225). According to the Horizon Report

(2013), "Google's Chromebooks are designed expressly to operate in the cloud" and they have

"entered the market, and at price points that make them instantly competitive in the race one-toone computing" (p.12). BMHS only has a mobile cart with 28 Netbooks to be used in the classrooms. These Netbooks give teachers and students the opportunity to conduct a lesson inside or outside the classroom. For instance, the Science or/and Culinary Arts teachers may impart one of their classes in the courtyard (where the Garden Project took place). BMHS does not have sufficient ubiquitous devices for students' use. Perhaps the savings (for switching to

Cloud computing) from services such as heating, software cost, network cost, cooling services, etc., may be used to buy some Google's Chromebooks for students' use in the premise. Another consideration could be the implementation of BYOD to school program.


These learning devices are appropriate for BMHS because of all the technologies mentioned in the Horizon Report (2013) ; these are the most efficient and sustainable for this school. The Cloud computing would offer continuous availability; allowing teachers and students to access the services wherever they are located. Students would not only be able to access their data from school, but also from home. With these tools, teachers may assign students to work on a project by themselves or in groups, send/receive emails, participate in blogs, visit a virtual museum, read e-books, access online magazines, research a specific topic they may be learning in class, and even practice the language that they are currently taking with the Rosetta Stone software. Furthermore, these tools would allow teachers and students to work in a more collaborative manner, preparing students for the modern workforce by enhancing their collaborative skills (Bumbac & Orindaru, 2014). These technologies are conducive to learning, encourage exploration, expand students' knowledge, and are currently having a profound effect on the students. In addition, "The children we are educating today are very different to the children our educational system was designed for" Wylie (n.d.). Nowadays, children are being exposed to all these technologies and, as a result, we need to maintain them engaged by complying with their demands. For BMHS, this is dramatically important, because there are a large number of students at BMHS who are not motivated about obtaining an education. For that very reason, these devices may be used as motivational tools by giving students better opportunities to acquire skills at their own pace. This can be achieved by making the "learning experience more tailored to the changing needs of individuals, encouraging learners to return for knowledge updating and further study" (Behera, 2013, p. 31).

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY

Trends impacting education

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Technology, public policy, economic and demographic trends are impacting educational institutions. For this reason, this section of the FVE case study attempts to present research evaluations about what current technological events, public policy, economic, and demographic trends in education inform the “vision of education” of this case study. This paper provides an overview of how the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education, for Alien Minors) Act, high tuition increase, how the United States is growing more diverse, and the use of mobile devices in schools can impact BMHS. For instance, this section of the FVE case study highlights how the

DREAM Act, if passed into law, will provide an opportunity to the Dreamers attending BMHS

(Brien McMahon High School) to continue their secondary education. In addition, the staff and faculty must be given the adequate training so that they can be more effective at teaching the diverse population at BMHS especially at motivating these children to become more interesting in their schooling.

Demographic trend

The United States is simultaneously growing older and more diverse. Soon a majority or racial ethnic group in the United States will become a thing of the past. There is not going to be a group with more than fifty percent of the total population. Forty-seven percent of children under the age of five are from a racial or ethnic minority group, which means that our youngest population is the most diverse. On the other hand, non-Hispanic whites are the oldest (The

United States Department of Education, n.d.). This trend in immigration represents a challenge for academic institutions. They have been promoting the importance of diversity and establishing policies for the purpose of educating teachers, students and staff about empathizing and being respectful to people of other cultures (Lynch, 2014). However, they have not been emphasizing

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 8 the need to connect diversity and the curriculum. According to Hardy and Tolhurst (2014), in an investigation to identify the preferences for learning style, “they found that learning style preferences were related to cultural values” (p. 267). In this case, academic institutions need to expand their focus and understand that if this correlation between culture and learning is not addressed, students’ learning experience may be hindered. If this factor is not taken into consideration, teachers will not be able to motivate students intrinsically. To elicit students’ motivation, in an intrinsic system, it is important to take into consideration students’ perspectives and opinions. Not only this, but content has to be related to students’ experiences. If teachers ignore these aspects, students develop a lack of responsiveness that would hinder their participation in the class and, as a result, students may alienate themselves (Wlodkowski, 1999).

In his article, “Motivation and diversity: A framework for teaching,” Wlodkowski (1999) emphasizes the importance of training teachers to successfully motivate and engage culturally diverse students. He suggests that educators need to become conscious of the importance of understanding how to teach culturally diverse students and the factors that may hinder their learning process, as culture influences their motivation and engagement. He adds, “What may elicit that frustration, joy, or determination may differ across cultures, because cultures differ in their definitions of novelty, hazard, opportunity, and gratification, and in their definitions of appropriate responses” (Wlodkowski, 1999, p. 9).

Therefore, understanding these differences would allow teachers to get to know their students to a greater degree, allowing teachers to connect with them. In this way, teachers will be more effective at preparing lesson plans, especially the motivational component and, as a result, a class atmosphere that is conducive to learning will be created.


This trend plays an essential role in my FVE case study because two-thirds of the student body at BMHS is diverse. Therefore, it is essential to educate teachers and staff if we want to impact students’ learning.

Teachers need to receive the necessary tools that will let them develop the sensitivity needed to empathize with students from other cultures and so that they can be more effective at teaching them. In addition, teachers need to make a conscious effort to learn about diversity. If not, they will not develop a clear view about diversity. Without a strong conviction about diversity, they will not be able to see every student’s potential and, as a result, these students will be less likely to succeed in class (Lynch, 2014).

Public policy trend

Public policy trends are also impacting academic institutions in the United States. One of them is the DREAM Act. According to Kim (2013), the purpose of this act is to create equal educational opportunities and to assist these minors with their fear of deportation, which may create psychological issues for these children. It also intends to provide a path to legal citizenship. This trend is crucial to this FVE case study because at BMHS there is a large number of Dreamers. Therefore, it is essential to understand how the DREAM Act is trying to protect this portion of the population at BMHS. Becoming familiar with their situation would allow teachers to get to know students at a deeper level. With this knowledge teachers can become empathetic towards students’ current situations and, as a result, make the connection needed to establish a relationship with them that is conducive to learning. In addition, if this legislation becomes law, many students at BMHS will have an opportunity to continue with their higher education. At their current legal status, the majority of them are being forced to postpone their college education because they cannot afford to pay the tuition. Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, these students are ineligible for federal financial aid.


In addition, the DREAM Act would act as a motivator for BMHS students because a requirement for obtaining legal permanent resident is that students must have completed a degree from a community college or vocational school; completed two years in a bachelor’s or higher degree program; or served the US Armed Forces for at least two years (Kim, 2013).

Furthermore, many of those children are bilingual and bicultural. If BMHS helps these children achieve the dream of obtaining an education, they will be an asset to this country. With the demographic change in the United States, the United States is in demand of bilingual professionals.

Economic trend

According to a study released by Georgetown University Center on Education and the

Workforce (2011), the demand for secondary education will increase from 59 percent to 63 percent, which means that the most promising financial future is for workers with a bachelor’s or/and master’s degree (Adam, 2011). This promising financial future comes at a very high price.

Higher education institutions continue increasing their cost of attendance every year, making it difficult for some students to secure their financial future. This trend has parents and students contemplating the value of education. The rising price of college tuition had impacted the enrollment levels in certain fields of study. This is because students are discouraged to enroll

(Adams, 2011). Adams adds that this factor reduces demand and that these colleges may not be yielding as much as they expected. He suggests that “ it is important for colleges to understand how the revenue and student impact of differential pricing compares to alternative pricing schemes such as across-the-board tuition increases or tuition increases for wealthier or out-ofstate students” (p. 1). In addition, the increasing price of college tuition is creating a generation in debt. Another way that this trend is having an impact on education is because the price

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 11 increase in tuition costs is affecting students from low-socioeconomic status (Ching, 2012). They are being forced to give up their right to obtain an education and, therefore, give up the

American Dream.

In the study released by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

(2011), it was found that “enrollment decisions of female and minority students are more likely to be influenced (negatively) by higher tuition rates for programs than are white men” (Adam,

2011). The result from this study impacts this FVE case study because two-thirds of the student body at BMHS is minority. In this case, these students are at risk of continuing the poverty cycle in which they were born. Ching-Yuan (2012) points out that “a strong relationship between the education levels of parents and children means that both wealth and poverty are reproduced in the next generation. A society with this characteristic lacks class mobility, and income inequality may continue to expand” (p. 21). This is a concern because unless these children are given the opportunity to obtain a college degree, they will be forced to continue living under miserable conditions. The increased price of college tuition is becoming an obstacle for children who come from low-socioeconomic status with hopes of getting a post-secondary education (Ching-Yuan,

2012). With tuition sky rocketing, how can these students afford it? The government and policy makers need to ensure that education is affordable by everyone in the United States and not only affluent people. If this trend continues, the problem of education inequality will dramatically continue increasing and, as a result, the United States will continue to have an uneven distribution of income.

Technology trend

A technology trend that will impact BMHS is the use of mobile devices, such as iPads,

Smart Phones and Netbooks. These devices allow students to do research online and access

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 12 textbooks and magazines from anywhere in the school. In addition, video players can be utilized so that students can get a better understanding of the subject that they are learning. “BYOD requires a major change in attitude no matter how applied. In many schools, teachers routinely confiscate students’ cellphones to be returned to parents at a later time” (Geller, 2013, p. 1). In that case, it means that the culture at BMHS will have to change because the cell phone policy will have to be modified. A challenge that BMHS may encounter is that some parents will not be able to afford an iPad or a Smart phone. In that case, the school needs to find a way to facilitate a mobile device for those students to use while in school (Marcoux, 2014). He suggests that this platform must be placed in order for the BYOD program to work. Another important aspect of this technology trend is that teachers need to learn how to use and implement the devices

(Sangani, 2013). Therefore, the school should train teachers so that they may feel confortable using these devices with the students. Cloud-based services will work well with the BYOD culture “ as very few classrooms can afford to have a technician standing by in case a student is unable to connect to the network. The idea is that much of the processing and storage is not on the device itself but is stored and accessed externally, via the Internet” (Sangani, 2013). In sum, these technology trends are indicators that the increased use of these mobile devices in the classroom, and cloud-based services, can enrich students’ learning. Therefore, instead of dealing with personal devices as a problem, BMHS should allow the use of these personal devices as learning tools.

Based on the review of past research, technology, public policy, economic and demographic trends are impacting students’ learning and, therefore, their chances of obtaining a secondary education. Hence, the staff and faculty members at BMHS need to continue updating themselves about trends that may limit them from giving students the opportunity to improve

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 13 their performance. Therefore, it is imperative to keep up with research about educational literature and media for up-to-date and pertinent public policy, economic, demographic and technology trends in education. In this way, BMHS can start making the necessary changes that would allow them to enhance the school’s learning environment and, as a result, BMHS will be able to reach all children and give them the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

Futuring techniques

Scanning and scenarios are techniques that have been implemented as tools to aid in the decision-making process concerning the uncertainties that the future holds. This section of the

FVE case study attempts to explain scenarios and scanning techniques and why such futuring techniques are crucial for educational institutions. It also analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of scenarios and scanning approaches.

Futuring Techniques/Methodology

Our school system is changing very rapidly. Students are having different demands and their needs, as well as teachers’ needs, are changing (Rieley, 1997). Hence, "If we are to remain viable, or hopefully more effective over time, we must begin to examine how we do our planning" (Rieley, 1997, p. 227). Education will radically change and we will be leaving behind the traditional school system from hundreds of years ago (Stafford, 2009). We need to embrace our reality and start looking at the "paradigm shifts that are presenting themselves currently and reevaluate how to view these shifts…" (Stafford, 2009, p.3). From that frame of reference, futuring is an important exercise for educational organizations because it gives them the opportunity to look at evidence that may give suggestions about the future. They can use the evidence to make statements about what is expected to happen in the future in relation to a particular event, such statements would allow them to identify projected pathways and construct

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 14 preferred futures. By analyzing the trends and creating a vision of what the future might hold, educational institutions are better able to position themselves to take advantage of future trends or to respond in a timely manner. On the other hand, if the future is not considered, they are at the grace of events and may not have the ability to respond appropriately.

Scenarios techniques

Scenario planning is one technique educational institutions might utilize. It is one of the most common techniques used in future studies. Scenarios is the process in which schools invent and then consider various alternate futures in efforts to make better decisions in the present and to bring forward surprises. It gives educational institutions the opportunity to look at the big picture. In this way they improve their decision making process because it allows them to detect risks and threats and turn them to their favor (Mietzner & Reger, 2005).

Strengths and limitation of scenarios strengths limitations an approach to risk management time consuming takes into account not one specific future, the selection of suitable participants could but multiple realizable futures be a challenge establishes a discussion of cause-effect may encounter difficulties when creating analysis multiple scenarios enhances learning minimizes surprises forces to question assumptions

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY improves decision making process forces reflection predetermine the critical uncertainties

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Scanning technique and its challenges

Scanning is another technique educational institutions might implement. Scanning is the process by which educational institutions gather local and international data to identify powerful forces that may impact future events and trends. Once this data is collected, it “needs to be shared as easy-to-understand information in the form of past trends around real-world issues”

(Sobrero, 2014, p. 1). Scanning is essential because it identifies any indicators of change.

However, ongoing monitoring offers an opportunity to continuously revise the effects that these changes are causing, allowing educational institutions to make the appropriate adjustments in a timely manner. “One component that should be incorporated into scanning and monitoring is local learner and stakeholder input, including customer/learner satisfaction” (Sobrero, 2014, p.

2). The local learner and stakeholder’s insight about the changes that have occurred is invaluable to the scanning process. Scanning is a useful technique because educational institutions may use this data to make data-driven projections about the future. They do so by observing if, in the future, changes occur at the same pace as they had been in the past. In another words, scanning gives purpose to this data by determining why or how these trends happen in order to anticipate future needs (Bayode & Adebola, 2012). Another reason scanning is a useful technique is that

“Most of the organizations today are developing different types of strategies that will sustain them in their business environment, and this can only be achieved through the analysis of the environment” (Bayode & Adebola, 2012, p. 29). Therefore, this technique has been broadly used

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 16 because it allows educational institutions to use the data to assess any social, economic, political, environmental, and technological changes that could interfere with their objective of preparing students to acquire the skills needed to succeed in post-secondary education or at any entry-level job.

A challenge that scanning may present to researchers is the accuracy of the data collected and that data that may go unobserved due to lack of strong indicators. In addition, educational institutions should frequently review their strategies because there are other factors that can cause a shift in the environment. For example, at BMHS, the growth of ELL population needs to be monitored because it increases every year due to newcomers from Central America throughout the school year. The use of these data is crucial because it will allow BMHS to make any necessary adjustments to the learning process of these students.

In addition, for educational institutions, the rate of change in education is the reason why forecasting the future is important. As a way of examining their planning, educational institutions are implementing futuring techniques to make projections about the future of their institutions. Futuring techniques such as scanning and scenario are giving these organizations the opportunity to identify the potential pitfalls and opportunities their institutions might face in the future. It allows them to get prepared and avoid crisis. As a result, they can maximize the learning opportunities they are providing to their students.

Vision/Plan

Scenario

Five years into the future, BMHS will be a different school. Engagement and motivation will lead everyone in the building. Teachers and students will empathize with each other.

Technology will be used to motivate students, give them the opportunity to develop 21 st

century

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 17 skills and to make them responsible for their own learning. Furthermore, minority parents’ involvement will be high.

First, teachers and students will empathize with each other. The training that teachers will be receiving within the next five year will allow them to become conscious of the importance of understanding how to teach culturally diverse students and the factors that may hinder their learning process. In addition, educators will attend informational sessions to inform them about the situation of all the Dreamers at BMHS and the purpose of the DREAM Act. After becoming familiar with their situation, teachers will get to know students at a deeper level. With this knowledge teachers can become empathetic towards students’ current situations and, as a result, make the connection needed to establish a relationship with them that is conducive to learning.

Second, engagement and motivation will lead everyone in the building. Teachers and students will be intrinsically motivated because their opinions and perspectives will be taken into consideration in the implementation of this vision. This will be done through the use of the divergent thinking method. According to Pink (2009), in the 21 st

century, an intrinsic motivation system leads to high performance since teachers and students do things because they are relevant to them. In addition, the DREAM Act would act as a motivator for BMHS students because a requirement for obtaining legal permanent residency is that students must have completed a degree from a community college or vocational school, completed two years in a bachelor’s or higher degree program, or served the US Armed Forces for at least two years (Kim, 2013).

Third, teachers will continue to engage and motivate students through the use of technology inside and outside the classroom, as it will give them the opportunity to develop 21 st century skills and make them responsible for their own learning. Technology will be giving

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 18 teachers and students the opportunity to interact through asynchronous online discussions. In addition, technology will be promoting a learner-centered environment, which will allow students to contribute to the learning process of everyone. According to a study conducted by

Xie et al. (2011) , during an interview, students expressed that through asynchronous online discussions they enriched their learning because they not only learned from their own entries, but they also learned from reading their classmates’ postings as well. They add that these asynchronous online discussions may give students an opportunity to increase their sense of autonomy since students may feel that they willingly contributed to the topic being discussed through the discussion board (Xie et al., 2011). Pink (2009) agrees with this theory when he says that people tend to be more successful when they feel the urge to direct their own lives.

Educators at BMHS will always be trying to implement effective ways of enhancing students’ learning experience, and technology will offer them an opportunity to create that studentscentered environment that will allow students to perform at a higher level. Teachers will be taking the time to effectively implement some of these technological tools to improve students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and engagement.

Finally, minority parents’ involvement will be high. The school will form PLCs with the goal to increase parents’ participation in school activities. Through the implementation of these committees, teachers will get to share any concerns they may have (Adams, 2009). In addition,

CoPs and PLCs encourage dialogue and reflection among members, allowing them to experience improvement (Graham, 2007).

At the beginning of the school year, members of the PLCs and parents will meet and analyze surveys done by parents about the activities and/or workshops that they would like the school to offer. This formal scanning will be done to identify emerging issues and to know if the activities and/or workshops offered at school are relevant and valued to

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 19 the parents. Considering the external driving forces will give BMHS the opportunity to continuously improve the minority parents’ involvement at school. The findings will be shared, and the potential impact that these observations may have at improving parents’ involvement at school. Adjustments on the workshops and/or activities will be made in order to make them relevant to the parents. Throughout the year, once a month, the members of the PLCs will meet to discuss and address any issues that may have arisen. This will allow BMHS to continuously monitor improvements and/or issues in order to improve parental involvement at school.

Challenges:



Acquiring mobile devices to ensure that every student will have access to technology.

Funding will be an issue at acquiring these devices.



Providing training to teachers about how to work with culturally diverse students. Some teachers may not be able to think “outside the box,” therefore, training teachers to empathize with these students may be a challenge.



Creating new policy for BYOD program. At the moment, the school does not allow the use of Smartphones inside the school ground. This policy will have to be evaluated.



Providing common time for teachers to meet for PLCs.

 Facing “innovation killers.” Some teachers may react negatively to the vision presented on this paper.

Opportunities:



The implementation of convergent thinking will allow BMHS to prepare staff members, teachers and students for the innovation suggested in this paper. In addition, teachers, staff members and students will learn how to be tolerant and embrace others’ opinions.




This vision presents an opportunity to change the culture of the school as everyone will be fully engaged and motivated with the implementation of new teaching strategies, new technological devices and learning tools, and meetings through PLCs.



These vision will give BMHS an opportunity to reach all students. As a result, students’ dropout rate will decrease and graduation rate will increase.



With this vision in place, students will acquire 21 st

century skills that will prepare them to perform entry-level jobs and continue their post-secondary education.



BMHS will have the opportunity to promote change taking into consideration students’ and parents’ inputs.

If BMHS does not transform

If BMHS does not transform into a future oriented educational organization as suggested in this FVE case study, it will be underserving students by not providing them an education that will prepare them with 21 st

century skills. If technological tools are not implemented in the school as a way of motivating and educating students, students’ performance will be below standard. As a result, the dropout rate will increase and students who manage to graduate from high school will not be able to continue with their post-secondary education because they will not have the necessary skills to excel in college, which means that they will end dropping out of college as well. In addition, if teachers do not get trained on how to work with culturally diverse students, students’ engagement and motivation will diminish as well.

Plan for Change

BMHS should prepare for these changes by


1. Establishing PLCs and/or CoPs where teachers can meet twice a month to discuss ways of improving their methodology and to encourage collaboration among teachers.

2. The administration should provide training for those teachers who lack technology skills or do not know how to implement technology in their curriculum. This can be done by offering training after school, teachers helping each other while in the CLPs meetings, giving teachers common planning time, and by creating a forum for teachers to share tips on how to use certain technological tools.

3. Engaging and motivating all students at BMHS. Teachers can be given training about connecting with culturally diverse students. BMHS should offer “share sessions” where students share their experiences with teachers about being a culturally diverse student and how they think that teachers’ and students’ relationships can be enhanced.

4. A committee formed by staff members, teachers, and students should be established to develop a new policy for BYOD program.

5. Minority parents’ involvement needs to improve. This can be done by offering workshops to parents in their native language, having a cultural night once a year, and notifying parents, via email or by phone, about their children’s performance

Call to Action at school.


The first step that BMHS should begin immediately to start on the path of the Future Vision of Education is implementing the method of divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. In other words, it is a form of creativity in which a person has the ability to think laterally, interpret a question in various ways, and come up with many possible answers to a question (Robinson, 2010). This can be done by:

1.

Calling a general meeting and presenting the issues identified in this vision to

2.

teachers and staff members.

After the general meeting, teachers and staff members are assigned to a PLC that

3.

4.

will meet once a week.

Administrators work on a schedule for teachers to meet for the PLCs during common time.

During PLCs’ meetings, members discuss possible solutions to address the issues presented in this vision.

5.

Then, members are presented with the suggested changes/solutions in this vision so that they can evaluate the solutions they came up and the ones proposed in this vision.

6.

Finally, another general meeting can be held to discuss as a whole group the best ways of implementing this future vision of education.

The cultivation of divergent thinking in staff members and teachers will allow BMHS to come up with solutions for changing the school’s culture and improving students’ performance.

In the method of divergent thinking, there is not one right answer. Conversely, the divergent thinking method emphasizes that there are many solutions to a problem and the validity of

BRIEN MCMAHON HIGH SCHOOL: CASE STUDY 23 different perspectives. As a result, the possibilities for change can be endless because everyone will be thinking “outside the box.” This is of great benefit to BMHS because in order to bring innovation (in all aspects) to the school, everyone’s ideas should be considered and validated. In this way, teachers and staff members can work more effectively in collaboration with each other and may embrace the suggested changes in the FVE case study without fear.


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