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The School Change Process

Using continuous improvement principles, our process is based on what we’ve seen work best for schools and what the research indicates.

THEORY OF CHANGE

The School Change Process

The process below is based on continuous improvement principles, and we use it with every school team. Our process is not only based on what we’ve seen work best for schools and what the research indicates, it is grounded in our Theory of Change.

The Challenge Success School Partnership is an inclusive, community-driven collaboration that leverages the Challenge Success Change Process to increase well-being, enhance belonging, and deepen engagement with learning for your students.

PHASE 1: IGNITE

Prepare for the Journey

Teams lay the foundation for change work around wellbeing, belonging, and engagement. This can include building a shared purpose for the work ahead, clear roles and responsibilities, and creating structures for effective communication and collaboration.

Investigate the Student Experience

Teams gather and analyze data on student wellbeing, belonging, and engagement. This can include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other forms of data collection to identify areas for improvement and establish baseline data.

Define the Focus Area for Improvement

Teams unpack the student experience to explore underlying root causes, identify specific areas for improvements in well-being, belonging, and/or engagement, and orient toward appropriate actions for the community. This may involve action planning, sharing data more widely with the community, data analysis protocols, and other forms of data collection to deepen understanding of root causes and opportunities.

Identify Clear Vision for Improvement

Teams design a clear outcome for change. Teams use new skills, perspectives, and knowledge to create a clear aim for improvement in wellbeing, belonging engagement. This can include an aim statement aligned with identified hopes for improvements in student outcomes.

PHASE 2: ENGAGE

Design S.P.A.C.E. Change Ideas

Teams design change ideas with specific goals aligned with their vision for improving student wellbeing, belonging, and engagement. This may involve brainstorming, creative ideation, prototyping, learning, and collaborating to create an action plan. Visit our blog to see specific examples of changes schools have made within the S.P.A.C.E. Framework and read case studies and success stories from our past partner schools.

Engage in Cycles of Inquiry

Teams put the plan into action by implementing change ideas, and monitoring and assessing the progress toward the shared outcomes. This can include implementing interventions, programs, or initiatives to improve student well-being, belonging, and engagement in learning, as well as ongoing data collection and analysis to track progress.

Reflect on Individual & Community Impact

Teams evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions and strategies implemented in the Cycles of Inquiry, measure results, and decide whether or not to institutionalize the change efforts. This can involve analyzing data and feedback from stakeholders, reflecting on successes and challenges, and making adjustments as needed to continue improving student well-being, belonging, and engagement

PHASE 3: SUSTAIN

Cultivate Collective Growth

Teams engage with specific communities of practice to support ongoing growth and implementation This may involve joining a focused cohort and/or partnership to deepen practices that sustain a specific policy and practice change around student wellbeing, belonging, and engagement.

Develop Growth & Implementation Plan

Teams establish practices and systems that support change efforts and ongoing improvement of student well-being, belonging, and engagement in learning. This may involve identifying areas for ongoing improvement, developing new strategies, and co-creating a sustainability plan for long-term impact.

A RESEARCH-BASED, EQUITY-CENTERED FRAMEWORK

Policies and Practices to Drive Change

Research supports numerous changes schools can make to improve student well-being, engagement, and belonging. View our SPACE Framework for a list of those changes to see how other schools have made these changes and how to start at your school.

HEAR FROM OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS

“Challenge Success has been part of our district for five years and has stretched our thinking in terms of how we support the social-emotional well-being of students. We have made strides in looking at the quantity and quality of homework, the scheduling of extra-curricular activities, adding free time and downtime to the school day, and worked to educate students, teachers, and parents on how to develop a balanced lifestyle for our overloaded kids.”

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT

“I can honestly say that our involvement with Challenge Success exceeded our expectations. Meeting, dialoguing and connecting with like-schools, the student survey and working with our coach has been the extra support we needed to begin the process of creating a healthier climate for our students, teachers, and parents.” 

DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

“The Challenge Success program acted as a breath of fresh air within our extremely narrowly-focused school environment. The program helped to build in P.D.F. (Playtime, Downtime, and Family time) that every student needs in order to find the necessary balance in their day.” 

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT