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Presentation at the #2012waic Conference - Ghent, Belgium
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The Macon Miracle: Connecting Strengths, Reinventing Education, Helping Children Flourish
Presented By: Dr. Romain Dallemand, Susanne Griffin-‐Ziebart, Dr. Judy Godfrey, Kathy Becker, and Jim Pulliam
Where is Macon/Bibb County?
County and District Demographics • 155,000 people in the County (2010 Census) • 43% white • 51% African-‐American • 6% Other
• Student PopulaQon • 21% white • 79% African-‐American and Other
The Macon Miracle: Why is Transformation Urgent?
• Approximately 25,000 students • Rated 174th out of 179 Georgia districts • Has 10 of the 78 lowest performing schools • 51% graduaQon rate • 9,441 students suspended – 48,000 days of missed instrucQon • 703 students dropped out • 493 students expelled
The Macon Miracle: Why is Transformation Urgent?
• 20,000 students are receiving services from D.F.C.S.
• 632 students are documented as homeless students
• 1,000 students are living with someone who is not a biological parent
• 1,111 students have at least one parent incarcerated
• 78% of students receive free or reduce priced lunch
• 1,100 students arrested from August 2011 – March 15, 2012
Why Appreciative Inquiry? • Recognized the challenge of increasing the “probability” of “buy-‐in” • Recognized the need to include more than the “tradiQonal” voices in the creaQon of the plan • Wanted to ensure that employees and key stakeholders played an acQve role in creaQng the plan
Why Appreciative Inquiry? • Involves everyone in the process • Creates “space” for people to envision possibiliQes rather than barriers • Develops a sense of unity by bringing everyone in the same room and creaQng a shared experience • Ensures equitable access to informaQon
The Macon Miracle: Bibb County’s Planning Process
• Two days to complete what was typically done in four days (i.e., Dream, Discovery, Design and DesQny) • All employees, parents, community members, business partners and state and local dignitaries parQcipated (i.e., approximately 4500 people)
The Macon Miracle: Bibb County’s Planning Process
• Dedicated Qme during the work day for all employees to parQcipate • Held at the Macon Centreplex Arena • Co-‐facilitated by the Center for AppreciaQve Inquiry and educators from Bibb County
Opportunities of Facilitation • Number of People • Size of the facility • Equipment • SeaQng • Sound • PreparaQon Time • Turn-‐around Qme • PrinQng • TransportaQon • Food
• Core Team Sign Up Arena Circles: 150 Monument Circles: 62 Ballroom A, B Circles: 50 Ballroom C,D,E Circles: 75 Exhibit Hall A Circles: 75
Engaging the Core Team • Core Team ParQcipants • Represented all employee groups • 60 members
• Core Team Involvement • Champions of the process • Planned, designed the process • Selected topics for interviews • Facilitated groups in the
interviews • Assisted with data collecQon
• Thoughts of Core Team Members
Data Collection Strategy
• SUMMIT ONE • PosiQve Core & Headlines captured from each circle group
• Strategic Plan Themes Developed
• SUMMIT TWO • Employees surveyed to idenQfy energy for each theme
• IniQaQves for each Theme emerged
What Were the Summit Outcomes?
• ParQcipants in the Summits created: • 6 Focus Areas • 22 Goals
• Strategic Plan • District Management Plan • Research-‐based iniQaQves • InnovaQve iniQaQves
Key Initiatives • Year-‐round school • InstrucQon in Mandarin Chinese for all students beginning in kindergarten • System-‐wide porfolio schools of choice
Key Initiatives • Proficiency for all students in numeracy and literacy by third grade • Students earn up to 30 college credits by graduaQon • Change the culture of schools through system-‐wide, strategic professional learning
Key Initiatives • Integrate 21st Century teaching tools in the classroom and in the home • District Welcome Center to provide informaQon and training to parents • Gihed instrucQon, Advanced Placement classes, and Honors classes for all students
Key Initiatives • Students iniQate a porfolio they will conQnue to develop through high school • Dormitories for students experiencing unanQcipated circumstances
Lessons Learned • Including all stakeholders is powerful • Clear expectaQons and training and supporQve scripts are important to ensure the message and experience is consistent • DedicaQng 4 full days to the process would have been valuable
Lessons Learned • The Core Team plays a criQcal role—selecQon and training is key • IniQate the Strategic Planning process AFTER you have leaders in place to lead the work • Using exisQng leaders meant that “old” mindsets could interfere with the work
Lessons Learned • For large scale summits, develop a plan that ensures everyone hears the work of other groups • Be prepared to address the fact that not everyone will agree with everything (yet) • Be prepared to address the fact that some will be against the plan for various reasons
Bibb County’s Successes
• The process and the inquiry created hope and enthusiasm • The effort resulted in a comprehensive, research-‐based innovaQve plan that was approved by the School Board
Bibb County’s Successes • The inquiry created broad-‐based engagement in the conversaQon about educaQon • The inquiry engaged individuals not previously included • The inquiry engendered support
Bibb County’s Opportunities • Engage and maintain “buy-‐in” • Build equity so all students excel—create unified support • Change the culture of the organizaQon and community • Help people to focus their energy in a posiQve way
Bibb County’s Next Steps • Strong implementaQon • CommunicaQon • Building understanding of strategies • Build understanding of each individual’s unique role
• Impact of IniQaQves on students and staff • Communicate expected outcomes of each iniQaQve
• Build understanding of requirements from students and parents
Bibb County’s Next Steps
• Create and celebrate quick wins • ConQnue to support the strong guiding coaliQon
Why was this inquiry so powerful?
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