change of culture

The Challenge of Culture Change:

Embedding RestorativePractices in Schools

A presentation by Margaret ThorsborneManchester, 2005

© Blood and Thorsborne, 2005

A copy of this paper by Blood and Thorsborne can be found on the IIRP website www.iirp.org

(follow links to IIRP conference papers “Building a Global Alliance”, Sydney, 2005)

http://www.iirp.org/




Organisations with a traditional

culture no longer produce anywhere close to the results required….and

these cultures are extremely resilient…….highly resistant to

change

Lee, 2004


Culture is the result of messages that are received about what is really valued. People align their behaviour to these messages in order to fit in. Changing culture requires a systematic and planned change to these messages, whose sources are behaviour, symbols and systems.

Taylor, 2004


Message management

• Messages from behaviour:

The management team and those considered important are watched by others

• Messages from symbols: Actions, decisions and situations visible to a large

no of people - and to which they attribute meaning

• Messages from systems: How your organisation rewards, measures,

manages and communicates what is important Taylor, 2004


Transformational change

The most significant determinant of your organisation’s culture will be the

leadership style of managers at all levels

Lee, 2004


Transformational process

….will change mind-sets, target values and

build a culture which can truly support new strategies and organisational aspirations.

However it can only be driven by passionate and persistent leadership at the top.

Therefore, transformational change begins with transforming the mind-sets of

managers.Lee, 2004


Stages

1. Gaining Commitment2. Developing a Shared Vision3. Developing Responsive and

Effective Practice4. Developing a Whole School

Approach5. Professional Relationships


Making a Case for Change

Building the case for investing in cultural improvement requires a

thorough understanding of the cost of the current culture

Taylor, 2004


Five Fundamental Leadership

Practices• Challenging the process• Inspiring a shared vision• Enabling others to act• Modeling the way, and• Encouraging the heart

Kouzes & Posner (1997)


Building a case for change

Identifying the need (the cost of current practice):• Qualitative data - wide dissatisfaction with the

ineffectiveness of current practice - conversations in staff rooms and staff meetings, student and parent feedback, school reviews, union involvement

• Quantitative data -survey data eg bullying, student safety and well-being/mental health; exclusion and suspension rates, detention rates, overuse of time-out facilities, student absences, staff absences, stress/sick leave, measures of student engagement/disengagement, academic results, retention figures………need to unpack data for meaning


Establishing buy-in• Share school data and RJ research with senior and

middle managers, student support services, governing bodies, parent bodies, local government and other agencies

• Engage senior levels in the department (at state, regional and district offices) professional bodies eg principal’s associations, unions

• Identify schools which are ready to take up organisational change - negotiate an MOU regarding obligations, accountabilities, support mechanisms

• Identify dedicated leadership team within the school to anchor the change program


Developing a Shared Vision

Key people must be clear about the organisational goals - what the organisation will look like when they get there - and being very clear about what they want to measure and how that will happen and why it is important

But more than anything, they must understand that this will mean, in all likelihood, a change in the culture - that is, “how we do things around here” or “how we do everything around here”


Preferred outcomes• Shift towards positive relationship management• Balance between prevention, intervention and crisis

management• Improvement in statistics (detention, time-out,

suspensions, exclusions, absenteeism,) & increased options for managing behaviour

• Staff who are struggling with discipline are identified early and supported in meaningful ways

• Quality and nature of the dialogue about kids is supportive• Case management approach to problem-solving• Classroom teachers solve more issues themselves• Students are self-regulating and better problem-solvers• Survey data shows improvements over a variety of

measures (eg safety, wellbeing, school connectedness, staff morale and stress levels, parent satisfaction)

• Greater engagement in curriculum, increased retention rates


NOT

WITHTO

FOR

Adapted by Blood 2004, from Wachtel,T 1999, adapted from Glasser, 1969

cooperativecollaborativeproblem solvingresponsibility

Restorative

Neglectful Permissive

authoritarianstigmatising

Punitive

rescuingexcusingreasoning

Low

High

High

Str

uctu

re/L

imits

Support

A Framework for relational practice

Whole SchoolCommunity

Individual


Management practice - building

social capital

Limits, boundaries,expectations

Support, nurturing, caring

Power strugglesConfrontationRulesWin-loseRetributionRevengePunitive

ChaoticInconsistentExcusingGiving inBlurred boundariesRescuing

UncaringTiredLazyBurnt outGiven up

ConsistentResponsiveFlexibleCooperationNegotiationAccountableResponsible

TOFORNOTWITH


Developing a Range of Responses

RE-BUILDING

RELATIONSHIPS

REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS

UNIVERSALe.g. Social & Emotional Skills Programs

INTENSIVEe.g. Conferencing, Mediation

TARGETEDe.g. Classroom, Sm.Grp. & Indiv. Conferences

1-5% of population

Whole School

RE-AFFIRMINGRELATIONSHIPS

THROUGH DEVELOPING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS

Morrison, 2004


Training, maintenance and

support• What model of training is to be used (given adult learning needs)?

• Who gets trained and in what order?• Costs of training? Funding sources?• Managing staff turnover and relief teachers, and

induction for new students and their families• Collegial support and supervision• Ongoing PD and access to latest research• Increasing the range of options• Networking


Monitoring for Quality Standards

The acquisition of new skills requires coaching in a climate of

encouragement, honest feedback and support particularly when we

are shifting from ingrained traditional approaches………….data collection,continuous improvement

loop and professional dialogue


Monitoring and supporting best

practice• RP coordinator - staffing implications• Integrity of practice amongst senior and

middle managers• Collegial support and resourcing for

preparation, facilitation and debriefing for high level interventions eg conferences

• Supportive approach to supervision of Restorative Practice

• Access to latest research/reading• Provision of high quality ongoing PD


Whole School(Big Picture)

Preferred Outcomes

Whole School(Big Picture)

Preferred Outcomes

Best Practice

System and SchoolImperatives

Hierarchy of Responses(proactive-reactive)

Relational/RestorativePhilosophy

Behaviour Mgt PolicyReview & Development


Managing the transition

• Identify core group to lead• Keep up the dialogue • Take a long term strategic approach (3-5 years)• Understand the tensions• Work first with interested staff• Leave old structures/processes in place in parallel• Involve as many staff as possible in restorative

processes• Explain decisions, share improvements in data, stories • Use a restorative approach for staff matters• Walk the talk and hold steady in the face of criticism• Participate in professional forums and networks


Timeframe & Indicators of Change

12-18 months

Gaining Commitment. Changing dialogue. Pockets of practice. Improved statistics. Increased options for managing behaviour.

12-24 months

Altered dialogue & processes. Alignment of policy & procedure. Increased skill development. School community commitment.

24- 36 months

Embedding of practice at all levels. Altered operating framework. Reviewing policy and procedure.Creative solutions emerge.

4-5 years Best Practice. Behaviour change embedded. Cultural change across school community.


Widening the lens

By thinking more broadly within a whole school approach

it becomes possible to see where else restorative philosophy can be

applied


Professional Relationships

• Promote openness, honesty, transparency and fairness

• Use RP for managing staff issues• Challenge practice & behaviour in a

supportive way• Engage whole staff and wider school

community• Management walking the talk


Diffusion Model of Innovation

3% 34% 34%13% 16%

EarlyAdopters

Innovators LaggardsEarlyMajority

LateMajority

Rogers, 95


A final word……..

If we are to heed the lessons of the last decade of pioneering work in schools, then we must approach

the implementation of RP’s with a broad and deep understanding of

what makes a difference.


Contact DetailsPeta BloodCircle SpeakPO BOX 24Broadway. NSW. 2007AustraliaPh/Fax: +61 2 9402 1273Mob: 0418 298 875Email:[email protected]

Margaret Thorsborne

& Associates

4 Kimbarra Court

Buderim. Qld. 4556

Australia

Phone:+61 7 5445 3520

Fax: +61 7 5445 2857

Mobile: 0412 135 015

Web: www.thorsborne.com.au

Email:

[email protected]

http://www.thorsborne.com.au/

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