Case Study B: Who Took My Chalk?

XYZ Elementary:  A Shift in School Culture and Attitude

A consulting and training program developed specifically for education, Who Took My Chalk?™ provides a customized solution to schools focused on the cultural aspects of change and the shift to 21st Century skills and learning.  The following case study documents one school’s progress using the Who Took My Chalk?™ model.  

The Challenge:

XYZ Elementary school was facing a number of issues. These issues were serious enough that their challenges were felt even at the county level.  The principal was searching for ways to improve the culture, but was often met with hostility by her faculty.  With the support of the county, the principal contacted The EdVenture Group to implement the Who Took My Chalk? ™ model in hopes of making a change in the school. By not meeting AYP for the second year, the morale of the staff was filled with disappointment and negativity. While the staff loved the school and the students, the morale and culture issues were taking a toll on the day to day interactions in the building.  This negative culture was not only evident to the internal staff, but also to outside visitors ranging from local leadership to state leadership.

The Solution:

Before any training was scheduled with the school, a Who Took My Chalk? ™ consultant met with the principal as well as over 90% of the teachers in one-on-one conversations during a full day visit. This provided the principal and teachers the opportunity to discuss the issues and opportunities surrounding the school culture with an unbiased, outside educator.  It was also important to give teachers the opportunity to voice their opinions in a private controlled environment.  Upon compiling all of the comments from these meetings, clear areas of focus rose to the surface.   This list guided the creation of the large group Who Took My Chalk? ™ session components. 

During the large group session for all teachers and the principal, the focus areas were addressed through a process that helped the group identify the major issues and set goals to move forward.  A circle of influence was created specifically for the school that addressed their unique issues and allowed them to focus on things that they could truly influence.   The fact that their voices had been heard and issues were being directly addressed opened the door to great discussion and a change of attitude.  Issues that had started as misunderstandings were discussed as a group and resolutions were made.  The goals set by the school included:  internal communication, time management and scheduling, discipline, respect, and creating a staff-wide positive attitude.  Each staff member had the opportunity to work in teams to share their specific ideas on how to improve in each of the goal areas.  Specific action items were determined as a group giving the school direction and accountability measures that could be used as they moved from the large group session back to their day to day routine.

Two months later, the Who Took My Chalk? ™ consultants returned to the school for the second school-wide face to face session.  While progress had been made, it was clear that the areas of influence still needed to be discussed again. At this point in the process, individuals were willing to open up and bring topics to the table that were hindering the progress of the school. The in-depth two hour session allowed the consultants to work with the staff to dig deeper into the issues and continue to guide them to solutions with which everyone could be comfortable.  The second session ended with a hands-on activity that had the entire group engaged and reflecting on next steps.

The Outcome:

The teachers and principal have been busy moving forward on the goals since the first meeting.  Many action items are being addressed and a school wide blog allows the Who Took My Chalk? ™ consultant the opportunity to stay connected to the principal and teachers at the school.  Staff members present questions and comments related to the progress being made based on their goals.  The work at the school continues on a daily basis.  The following list provides a few specific examples of outcomes that have occurred to date.
1.  The staff clearly sees that because of the pressures they are facing, they have been too hard on each other.  Through the use of Who Took My Chalk? ™ tools and clear school goals, they have taken steps to look at themselves and realize that each individual action contributes to the school-wide issues.
2. The school has implemented a number of ways to show appreciation for each other and have responded positively to this specific action.
3. The principal was key to the success of the project.  A good leader may recognize a problem or issue, but not many will engage with their employees to find solutions. The principal was open, sometimes frustrated, but always willing to participate and give consideration to comments and suggestions. 
Overall, progress continues at this elementary school.  Their willingness to work together and deal with the underlying issues has allowed this school to move forward in creating a school culture for 21st Century Learning.