The learning school : an organisation development approach

Online version:

Schools in context. Our global context. Our South African context. Our educational context. The local community context. The school. The classroom. The educational purpose of schools: from authoritarianism to authority. The story of Yellowwood high school. Organising framework for understanding and developing schools. School as an organisation. Elements of organisational/ school life: identity, strategy, structures and procedures, technical support, human resources, leadership and management, context. Organisation (school) development. Organisation development. Process of change. Guidelines and exercises. Culture and identity. Framework for understanding the school's culture. Organisational culture. Norms and values: the cornerstone of culture. Revisiting Yellowwood high school: the culture. A framework for understanding the school's identity. Vision and mission. the mission statement. Purpose and tasks. Revisiting Yellowwood high school: identity. Organisation development interventions. A starting point: beginning our work with Yellowwood high school. Conducting a normative analysis. Conducting an environmental analysis. Vision-building. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Normative analysis. Values clarification (helping to make values more conscious). Environmental analysis. Vision-building. Mission statement. Strategy. A framework for understanding the strategy element of school life. Strategic planning process. Goal-setting. The planning process. Evaluation. Revisiting Yellowwood high school. Further organisation development responses. From mission to goal-setting. Developing plans of action. Developing evaluation structures and procedures. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Strategic planning process. Goal-setting. Conducting a SWOT analysis. Developing plans of action. Developing evaluation structures and procedures. Structures and procedures. A framework for understanding the structures and procedures of school life. Structures and procedures. Decision-making. Accountability. Information flow. Democracy. Revisiting Yellowwood high school. Further organisation development responses. The democratisation project. Reconstruction and development of structures and procedures of the school. Decision-making procedures. Improving information flow. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Understanding and developing the structures and procedures of your school. Decision-making. Accountability. Building a democratic school. Technical support. A framework for understanding the technical support element of school life. Resources (including finances). Resource management. Financial management. Administration. Revisiting Yellowwood high school. Further organisation development responses. Resource and financial management. Administration. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Developing awareness and skills in resource and financial management and administration. Developing a proposal for a project or acquisition of resources. Human resources. A framework for understanding human resources in the school. Interpersonal or informal relations and dynamics. Human resources development. Conditions of service. Staff development and appraisal. Revisiting Yellowwood high school. Further organisation development responses. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Conflict management. Appraisal. Interpersonal relations. Personal development. Leadership and management. Leading and managing. The qualities of good leaders and managers. Leadership and management: what do they mean? Leadership and management styles. Leadership functions: task and maintenance functions. Empowerment and other issues of power. Building leadership and management capacity. Governing bodies and leadership and management. Revisiting Yellowwood high school. Further organisation development responses. Guidelines. Workshop exercises and other activities. Observation and listening skills. Facilitation. Managing change. Stress management. Time management