Change Forces with a Vengeance

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 2003 - Business & Economics - 113 pages
Change Forces With a Vengeance is the third in the chaos theory trilogy (now called complexity theory). The first two books focused on understanding the real complexity of educational reform in action. This book pushes even deeper by providing new insights and lessons of change concerning moral purpose, and what is called tri-level reform - the school and community, the local district and the state. It draws on reform initiatives across many levels and countries so that the ideas are grounded in the reality of actual projects and findings.
Change Forces With a Vengeance is different from the previous two books in one major respect. Instead of being content with understanding complex system dynamics, it takes up the more daunting question of how systems can be changed for the better. How can we achieve large-scale reform and do it in a way that the conditions for sustainability are enhanced? What policy levers are needed, and what is the smallest number of sets of policies that will maximise impact? What is the role of new leadership in accomplishing sustainable, comprehensive reform? These questions and more are addressed in ways that are both deeply theoretical, and powerfully practical.
 

Contents

1 Results of school reform in England
2
Moral Purpose Writ Large
11
distribution of LEA results
14
1 Complex change lessons
24
The School
39
The Role of the District
52
1 Theories of education and change
53
The State
66
1 Generic theory of education
69
Leadership and Sustainability
91
1 Leading in a culture of change
93
References
107
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About the author (2003)

Michael Fullan, Michael Fullan is the Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. He is an international authority on educational change and reform and has participated in many partnerships to bring about educational improvements. He is a researcher, consultant, trainer and policy advisor for multiple educational reform projects. He is the author of "The Changes Forces" trilogy, "The New Meaning of Educational Change, Third Edition." In 1993, Fullan was awarded the Colonel Watson Award for Outstanding Leadership from the Ontario Association of Curriculum Development. He was also appointed Policy Implementation Advisor to the Ministry of Education and Training. From that position, he earned the "Contribution to Staff Development Award" from the National Staff Development Council in 1995.