Running head: SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENT 1

Systemic Improvement

Edward J. Albert

Coastal Carolina University

July 1, 2018
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Systemic Improvement

The learning goals of an organization are generated by its leaders. These must leaders

provide the conduit so that the schools can switch from a traditional style of teaching to a style

that is more suitable for today’s environment. In order to provide such guidance the “school

leader must be willing to fostering an environment of innovation, exploration, experimentation,

and trial and error” (Anne O’Brien, 2013, para. 7). The roles of administration and teachers have

evolved and the schools needs to progress with the changing climate.

Learning Goals

I do not feel that my building has a digital-age leader. The administration is supportive of

the ambitions of the teacher, but they are “rarely seen even if there is a problem” (personal

communication, June 15, 2015). The building does have a technology teacher that works full

time and has the possibility of displaying a digital-age leadership; however, their job often goes

neglected to fill other needs in the building. As such, our building lacks direction in the use of

technology. There is more than enough infrastructure and devices to support a clearly stated

objective.

The lack of digital-age leadership is derived from lack of education. The administration

and instructional coaches are not fully aware on how to implement or use the technology

themselves and therefore are more likely to repeat the vague district line. The phrase

‘technology should be used more than digital content’ is often repeated, yet it is never defined.

The only time that a standard has been set or an example has never been provided is when the

Digital Integration Specialist (DIS) is on campus, which is about 15 times a school year. Leaders

of the school are frustrated with the result provided by the teachers and the teacher are irritated at
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unclear expectations and how to achieve them, which are caused because both parties lack the

education to use and implement technology properly.

The district, as well as the school, only “records the data of digital content” (personal

communication, June 16, 2018). I believe that this is done for two reasons. First, the district

bought these programs and they wanted to make sure that they were being used. Second, it is a

way to gauge student work. Metrics that involve how the available software is being used and

how often is easily accessible. If students were using technology to create and collaborate

though, then collecting data usage would be more difficult. Teachers that I spoke with were

happy to have these digital programs to use in independent learning. However, some felt

perturbed because the programs “did not always guarantee success and teaches the kids to beat

the program” (personal communications, June 11, 2018). The software has been installed and

teachers expect the technology to deliver as it is advertised.

Digital content information is collected and displayed. This data shows that a certain

class is at this percentage or has that average. Otherwise, there is zero school-based collaboration

that is occurring on any level. Neither the teachers, nor the administration, seem to worry about

the matter. I believe that is because the district bought specific software, and the data from those

programs, that ‘checks off the right boxes’ that the district and/or school must have.

Personnel

The recent trends in the availability of teachers is troublesome. According to Pan (2018),

“South Carolina faces an acute teacher shortage that experts warn will only get worse when

the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive (TERI) retirement program expires in June”

(para. 4). My district had “almost 20% of its teacher workforce retire due to TERI” (personal
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communication, June 5, 2018). To help remedy this solution the district “is working to hire

teachers who don’t have a traditional teaching degree” (Abbey O’Brien, 2018, para 2).

It is possible to see this in a positive light. It is a possibility that having teachers with

more experience retire is a positive because it may will allow the schools to reinvent themselves

with a younger work force. When these new employees arrive on campus they bring fresh ideas

that could open the door to innovation, but there are “4,900 [educators] who are no longer

teaching in any South Carolina public school. Thirty-eight percent of those who left had five or

fewer years of experience” (Landrum, 2018, para. 6). It has been very hard to hire a new teacher,

but to hire a quality educator who can creatively use technology seems like it could be an almost

impossible task.

To make the teacher shortage even more challenging “the district reported 908 additional

students, 167 more than the system’s projected growth of 741 new students.” (Boschult, 2018,

para. 2). By reading those statistics, one can extrapolate that the district will need even more

teachers than originally planned which makes filling those teaching position even harder than

prearranged. Moreover, teachers are aware of these trends and it may affect their decision

making when asked to implement something that they do not feel comfortable with.

Infrastructure

The district has done a great job at building an infrastructure. The basics needs and wants

of almost any teacher are in place. However, maintaining that infrastructure has been a source of

contention. The district has both PC and Mac devices. Most, if not all, of the Digital Integration

Team (DIT) love and support both products. However, the “IT department prefers the

Chromebooks” (personal communications, June 20, 2018) and some feel that certain products are

not be maintained the same. Retaining an IT employee has also been a challenge. A public
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school system does not pay as well when compared to the private sector. There are a few

individuals on our campus who can troubleshoot minor problems, but those issues typical

concern the use of a device or software program.

Regardless of the technology chosen, it needs to work properly. To be successful in integrating

technology and have the instructors buy-in “our first step was to install the most robust wireless

infrastructure we could and equip every classroom with a minimum standard” (Anne O’Brien,

2013, para. 19). Teachers now could see the consistency of the technology and will be more

likely to use it. The more the teachers use the technology, the more they become comfortable

with it. And in return, a new culture can be created.

Conclusion

There are many challenges that lie ahead in the school district. The entire organization

needs to move as one with the careful supervision of a leader. The leader must recognize that “a

person might lead one project but serve in a supporting role in another. Leaders in the future will

need to understand leadership as a task and not a position” (Kapp, 2012, p. 111). When teachers

and the administration of an organization come together and use technology in a positive fashion

the “students are creating their own connections, collaborating and driving personalized learning

experiences often without direction from the teacher” (Anne O’Brien, 2013, para. 27).

Hopefully, the educational system will allow all students to experience this lofty goal.
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References

Boschult, C. (2017). Horry County Schools see record enrollment, exceeding projections.

Retrieved from

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/education/article174108841.html

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and

strategies for training and education. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Landrum, C. (2018). South Carolina's growing teacher shortage poses a looming crisis in the

classroom. Retrieved from https://greenvillejournal.com/2018/03/21/teacher-shortage/

Pan, D. (2018). South Carolina's teacher shortage nears crisis, but it's not all about money.

Retrieved from https://www.postandcourier.com/news/south-carolina-s-teacher-shortage-

nears-crisis-but-it-s/article_448aee34-fb9c-11e7-9eb1-139e6df651d8.html

O'Brien, A. [Abbey]. (2108). Horry County Schools recruiting people without traditional

teaching degrees. Retrieved from www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/horry-county-

schools-recruiting-people-without-traditional-teaching-degrees/976445229.

O’Brien, A. [Anne]. (2013). School leadership in the digital age: An interview with 2013 Digital

Principal Ryan Imbriale. Retrieved from learningfirst.org/blog/school-leadership-digital-

age-interview-2013-digital-principal-ryan-imbriale.