Exploring the Impacts of Network Improvement Communities During Times of Crisis
Abstract
The Sullivan County School District, a pseudonym, is a specialized district in NYC catering to newcomers and students at risk for high school dropout. In the 2022–2023 school year, there was a significant increase in enrollment of asylum–seeking students living in shelters. Using an improvement science approach, the aim of this study was to support principals in developing high–level learning experiences for asylum–seeking students. Two primary drivers included increasing (a) collaborative work among 10 principals in a networked improvement community and (b) educational support by building capacity among teachers, guidance counselors, and social workers. The goal of the first Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle was to collaborate in winning $1 million in grant funding. Between October 2023 and January 2024, NIC principals began intervisitations aimed at (a) learning from each other about supporting teachers working with special populations, (b) observing how school leaders addressed the identified problem of practice in real–time, and (c) sharing current experiences of students, teachers, and leaders. The researcher also examined his own leadership actions and organizational change through two frameworks: adaptive leadership theory and communities of practice. Four leadership themes emerged: the value in making mistakes, the importance of building trust and fostering vulnerability, and learning when to let go. The most valuable lesson was the acceleration of learning that occurs when a group of individuals, each bringing unique expertise and experiences, are willing to trust and be vulnerable with one another for the greater cause of supporting students.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Educational administration|Social work
Recommended Citation
Pacheco, Damian, "Exploring the Impacts of Network Improvement Communities During Times of Crisis" (2024). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI31297006.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI31297006
