Leadership as an Implementation Driver: Identifying Best Practices to Support Organizational Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 104420732110667
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lancet ◽  
Lanya McKittrick ◽  
Lauren Morando Rhim
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Organizational Challenges

This article explores implementation science with a focus on the strategies leaders use to address organizational challenges. Part of a larger study, we employed a qualitative multiple case study design of 20 charter schools to contribute to an evidence base about how leadership at the charter school and charter management organization levels can influence their school communities regarding commitment to students with disabilities. From our exploratory research, key themes emerged that align with effective leadership strategies for implementation demonstrating the positive influence of leaders who prioritize students with disabilities by maintaining a clear vision and strong sense of purpose, creating a safe environment where diversity of perspectives is encouraged, and making sure all voices are heard and valued. Public schools across the nation can leverage lessons learned from the charter sector, as leaders work to ensure that their school practices and policies support success for students with disabilities. By ensuring that school leaders are trained and supported to use effective leadership strategies, policymakers, and schools of higher education can influence the adoption and advancement of innovative and effective practices.

scholarly journals Preparing Educational Leaders for 21st Century Inclusive School Communities: Transforming University Preparation Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Kristine J. Melloy
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Inclusive School ◽  
The Impact

University educational leadership preparation programs whose mission is to prepare Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade (TK-12) school administrators need to transform their curriculum so that all leaders (not just special education leaders) have the knowledge and skills to create inclusive school communities that truly include all students. Evidence suggests that even though there are policies, laws, recommendations and an empirical base that supports inclusive education for students with disabilities, equity, achievement and opportunity gaps remain in our nation’s public schools. The purpose of this conceptual study is to provide a look at redesigned preparation programs built on professional standards changes, evidencebased practices, and practice-based evidence correlated with inclusive school communities. Transformed preparation programs prepare educational leaders who lead inclusive school communities in closing the gaps for students with disabilities, considering that 100% of the students spend 80% or more of their day in general education classrooms. The impact for students with disabilities is that they experience equity, social justice and their civil rights for education in inclusive school communities where all benefit.

Introduction

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Minow
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Choice ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Court Case ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Poor Students ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Common Purpose

Making sense of Brown v. Board of Education, decided the same year I was born, and understanding what it did and did not achieve have occupied me since I can remember. When the fiftieth anniversary of the ruling arrived, scholars and media pundits debated whether the case deserved its landmark status and whether it had delivered in any meaningful way on the promise of racial equality for African Americans—or if it instead was ineffectual or counterproductive. Those are important questions, and this book grapples with them. Yet largely missing from the public discussions was the enormous influence of Brown in schools beyond race. The Supreme Court’s embrace of the ideal of equal opportunity and its critique of the separate-but-equal approach to education transformed the treatment of immigrants, students learning English, girls, students with disabilities, and poor students in American schools; religion in schools; school choice; and social science evidence about schooling—and the story of these changes deserves telling. That is what this book aims to do, even as it tells of a mixed legacy of Brown in these other contexts while also tracing reverberations of Brown outside the United States. To tell these stories is to engage with public policy debates over separate versus mixed instruction in meeting the needs of varied kinds of students. Nested within larger disputes over the viability of the racial integration ideal, this effort also explores the emergence of Brown as a resource for enterprising and visionary reformers concerned with gender, disability, religion, and other topics. The legacies of Brown invite a look at the capacity of individuals to push and achieve change using law and social science; the histories are interconnected with social movements as well as unexpected consequences of resulting reforms. Chapter 1 offers an analysis of what this landmark U.S. Supreme Court case did and did not accomplish when it banned official racial segregation in public schools. I consider whether the lawyers’ goal ever was integration, defined to mean both the side-by-side instruction of students of different races and the creation of school communities with a sense of common purpose and membership bridging different identities, histories, and past opportunities.

scholarly journals Learning Lessons during Recovery from Disasters

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s43-s43
Author(s):  
Yasmin Khan ◽  
Shannon Tracey ◽  
Sara Lacarte ◽  
Marie-Christine Therrien ◽  
Christopher Sikora
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Contextual Knowledge ◽  
Strategic Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews

Introduction:The Fort McMurray Alberta wildfire was one of Canada’s largest natural disasters in history, burning 589,995 hectares of land until being controlled on July 5, 2016. In responding to the fire, Alberta Health Services (AHS) prompted a province-wide coordinated response. Through a combination of pre-emptive strategies and responsive activities, the AHS response has been considered a success. Underlying the successful response is the collective experiences and contextual knowledge of AHS staff members acquired from past events. While the frequency and severity of risks associated with extreme weather and climate change are increasing worldwide, there is a persistent knowledge gap in the evidence-base informing public health emergency preparedness. It is imperative that lessons learned from past events inform future preparedness activities. Learning lessons is a systematic implementation process that can be used to inform future responses and best practices that are transferable to similar situations.Aim:To describe strategies employed and challenges encountered during recovery after the Alberta wildfires.Methods:A single-case study approach was employed to understand the AHS method to “learning lessons,” and the process involved in translating lessons into actionable goals. Semi-structured interviews with senior leaders (n=11) were conducted and internal documents were obtained.Results:The analysis revealed a strategic learning process, including debriefs, staff surveys, interviews, and member validity checking. The implementation process used to translate the lessons identified included a project management framework, evaluation techniques, and the utilization of tacit and explicit knowledge. Key challenges for implementation involve clarification of processes, leadership commitment, resource and time constraints, staff turn-over, and measuring outcomes.Discussion:Translating the lessons from the Alberta wildfires is crucial for enhancing preparedness, and exploratory research in this area can contribute to building a program of research in evaluation during disaster recovery.

scholarly journals Management of Distress in Patients with Cancer—Are We Doing the Right Thing?

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 978-984
Author(s):  
Joost Dekker ◽  
Kristi D Graves ◽  
Terry A Badger ◽  
Michael A Diefenbach
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Case Finding ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Distress Screening ◽  
Underlying Assumption ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Screening for distress and referral for the provision of psychosocial care is currently the preferred approach to the management of distress in patients with cancer. To date, this approach has shown a limited effect on the reduction of distress. Recent commentaries have argued that the implementation of distress screening should be improved. On the other hand, the underlying assumption that a referral for psychosocial care is required for distressed patients can be questioned. This has led to the development of an alternative approach, called emotional support and case finding. Purpose In the context of finding innovative solutions to tomorrow’s health challenges, we explore ways to optimize distress management in patients with cancer. Methods and Results We discuss three different approaches: (i) optimization of screening and referral, (ii) provision of emotional support and case finding, and (iii) a hybrid approach with multiple assessments, using mobile technology. Conclusions We suggest continued research on the screening and referral approach, to broaden the evidence-base on improving emotional support and case finding, and to evaluate the utility of multiple assessments of distress with new interactive mobile tools. Lessons learned from these efforts can be applied to other disease areas, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

scholarly journals Reimagining School Nursing: Lessons Learned From a Virtual School Nurse

2021 ◽  
pp. 1942602X2199643
Author(s):  
Bill Marrapese ◽  
Jenny M. Gormley ◽  
Kristen Deschene
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Virtual Schools ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
School Nursing ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
Ongoing Support

The COVID-19 pandemic has required thousands of public schools to quickly adapt to hybrid or fully remote models. These new models have presented unprecedented challenges for school nurses as they learn how to optimize their interactions with parents and students to provide ongoing support and monitoring of health. The growing reliance on virtual and hybrid public education is also placing new demands on school nurses to be versed in telehealth and school physicians to support their work. Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) and other public virtual schools have been meeting these challenges for many years prior to the pandemic and have “lessons learned” to share with traditional “brick-and-mortar” nursing staff. GCVS students benefit from a climate that rewards collaboration between the health team, parents, teachers, and administrators, and this article will describe the role, job description, and other practices related to school nursing in a primarily virtual world.

scholarly journals Getting Municipal Energy Management Systems ISO 50001 Certified: A Study with 28 European Municipalities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3638
Author(s):  
Jan Kaselofsky ◽  
Marika Rošā ◽  
Anda Jekabsone ◽  
Solenne Favre ◽  
Gabriel Loustalot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Policy ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Local Energy ◽  
Organizational Challenges ◽  
Energy Management Systems ◽  
Energy And Climate Policy

Managing energy use by municipalities should be an important part of local energy and climate policy. The ISO 50001 standard constitutes an internationally recognized catalogue of requirements for systematic energy management. Currently, this standard is mostly implemented by companies. Our study presents an approach where consultants supported 28 European municipalities in establishing energy management systems. A majority (71%) of these municipalities had achieved ISO 50001 certification by the end of our study. We also conducted two surveys to learn more about motivations and challenges when it comes to establishing municipal energy management systems. We found that organizational challenges and resource constraints were the most important topics in this regard. Based on the experiences in our study we present lessons learned regarding supporting municipalities in establishing energy management systems.

scholarly journals Associations of Sociodemographic Factors and Health Behaviors with the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6160
Author(s):  
Célia Landmann Szwarcwald ◽  
Deborah Carvalho Malta ◽  
Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros ◽  
Paulo Roberto Borges de Souza Júnior ◽  
Dália Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Socioeconomic Vulnerability

This cross-sectional study utilizes data from a nationwide web-based survey aimed to identify the factors affecting the emotional well-being of Brazilian adolescents aged 12–17 during the period of school closures and confinement. Data collection took place from 27 June to 17 September 2020. We used the “virtual snowball” sampling method, and students from private and public schools were included. A total of 9470 adolescents were analyzed. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to find the factors associated with reporting at least two of three self-reported problems—sadness, irritability, and sleep problems. The main proximal factor was loneliness (AdjOR = 8.12 p < 0.001). Problems related to school closures also played an important role. Regular intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as physical activity, demonstrated a positive influence on emotional well-being, while excessive screen time (AdjOR = 2.05, p < 0.001) and alcohol consumption negatively affected outcomes (AdjOR = 1.73, p < 0.001). As for distal variables, less affluent adolescents were the most affected, and males reported fewer emotional problems than females. Uncertainty regarding the disease in a context of socioeconomic vulnerability, together with rises in unhealthy behaviors and isolation from their immediate social circles, have negatively affected adolescents’ emotional status throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enhancing Collaboration during Humanitarian Response: An Interim Report from Stakeholders Survey

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 414-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivani Parmar ◽  
Ano Lobb ◽  
Susan Purdin ◽  
Sharon McDonnell
Keyword(s):  
Working Group ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Interim Report ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Humanitarian Response ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Coordination And Collaboration

AbstractThe effectiveness of humanitarian response efforts has long been hampered by a lack of coordination among responding organizations. The need for increased coordination and collaboration, as well as the need to better understand experiences with coordination, were recognized by participants of a multilateral Working Group convened to examine the challenges of coordination in humanitarian health responses. This preliminary study is an interim report of an ongoing survey designed by the Working Group to describe the experiences of coordination and collaboration in greater detail, including factors that promote or discourage coordination and lessons learned, and to determine whether there is support for a new consortium dedicated to coordination. To date, 30 key informants have participated in 25-minute structured interviews that were recorded and analyzed for major themes. Participants represented 21 different agencies and organizations: nine non-governmental organizations, eight academic institutions, two donor organizations, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.Common themes that emerged included the role of donors in promoting coordination, the need to build an evidence base, the frequent occurrence of field-level coordination, and the need to build new partnerships. Currently, there is no consensus that a new consortium would be helpful.Addressing the underlying structural and professional factors that currently discourage coordination may be a more effective method for enhancing coordination during humanitarian responses.

scholarly journals Reaching consensus on reporting patient and public involvement (PPI) in research: methods and lessons learned from the development of reporting guidelines

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e016948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Brett ◽  
Sophie Staniszewska ◽  
Iveta Simera ◽  
Kate Seers ◽  
Carole Mockford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Involvement ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Patient And Public Involvement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Reporting Guidelines ◽  
Consensus Development ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Three Phase ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionPatient and public involvement (PPI) is inconsistently reported in health and social care research. Improving the quality of how PPI is reported is critical in developing a higher quality evidence base to gain a better insight into the methods and impact of PPI. This paper describes the methods used to develop and gain consensus on guidelines for reporting PPI in research studies (updated version of the Guidance for Reporting Patient and Public Involvement (GRIPP2)).MethodsThere were three key stages in the development of GRIPP2: identification of key items for the guideline from systematic review evidence of the impact of PPI on health research and health services, a three-phase online Delphi survey with a diverse sample of experts in PPI to gain consensus on included items and a face-to-face consensus meeting to finalise and reach definitive agreement on GRIPP2. Challenges and lessons learnt during the development of the reporting guidelines are reported.DiscussionThe process of reaching consensus is vital within the development of guidelines and policy directions, although debate around how best to reach consensus is still needed. This paper discusses the critical stages of consensus development as applied to the development of consensus for GRIPP2 and discusses the benefits and challenges of consensus development.

scholarly journals Meeting the Challenges of Longitudinal Cluster-Based Trials in Schools: Lessons From the Chicago Trial of Positive Action

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 450-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra M. Lewis ◽  
David L. DuBois ◽  
Peter Ji ◽  
Joseph Day ◽  
Naida Silverthorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Study Planning ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
Cluster Randomized

We describe challenges in the 6-year longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) of Positive Action (PA), a social–emotional and character development (SECD) program, conducted in 14 low-income, urban Chicago Public Schools. Challenges pertained to logistics of study planning (school recruitment, retention of schools during the trial, consent rates, assessment of student outcomes, and confidentiality), study design (randomization of a small number of schools), fidelity (implementation of PA and control condition activities), and evaluation (restricted range of outcomes, measurement invariance, statistical power, student mobility, and moderators of program effects). Strategies used to address the challenges within each of these areas are discussed. Incorporation of lessons learned from this study may help to improve future evaluations of longitudinal CRCTs, especially those that involve evaluation of school-based interventions for minority populations and urban areas.

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