Alan E. Simon is a retired superintendent from Arlington Heights SD 25 and an associate professor of educational leadership in the College of Graduate and Innovative Programs at Concordia University Chicago.
You enter your office on your first day as superintendent of Unified School District. The school board president is sitting in your chair, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a petition from a sports booster club in the other. How do you, as superintendent, respond? Does the board president represent the board? What is the purpose of the meeting?
These and other questions are part of a process of situational analysis known as "case study."
Because students want to know how theory transfers to the real world, superintendent and principal preparation programs attempt to blend theory and practice. Practicing administrators want to know how to connect big ideas to daily decisions. School board members, too, want to know the ramifications of their actions.
All are concerned about the connection between values and beliefs, and the politics of practice. Enter case studies and simulations — tools that can be used to merge theory and practice.
In a 1971 book of elementary school case studies for administrators, Oscar Jarvis urges students to apply the principles and concepts from case studies to the reality of the curriculum. Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary Schools, envisions case studies as a way to "lift standards from the printed page" and explore the ways and means of application.
Case studies and simulations are being used in all types of professional training from clinical psychology to business administration to educational administration. And they could have applications for board members as well.
Students at Concordia University receive different types of fact situations. Depending on the case study, they either receive a large amount or a small amount of background information. Then students are asked to either write an individual critique or report, outlining options and recommending a course of action, or to prepare and present a group report outlining options.
In a simulation, students may make individual choices and then a final decision after "rethinking" their decisions as a group. Volunteers for organizations like the Red Cross receive training and simulated experiences before they participate in disaster assistance. School board members attend seminars and "retreats" where case studies are sometimes used.
Varied approaches
Case studies can be approached a number of ways. Sometimes participants receive a "completed" scenario where a set of facts is presented and decisions have been made. Graduate students often receive questions related to the Interstate School Leader Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards to determine if the actions in the case comply. Guest experts and panels can clarify decisions and reframe actions.
In other situations, a set of facts is presented and participants can choose from a list of possible actions. The pros and cons can be debated. Other case studies can be more open-ended.
Participants benefit by reflecting on real experiences and sharing responses and decisions with classmates or colleagues. Refocusing, reframing and reflecting promote teamwork and professional growth, so the use of a case study approach becomes appropriate for school board members as well.
Case studies can promote student development and administrative and board performance on many levels, including:
Administrative teams need to have time to reflect and tie theory to action. Using case studies and simulations from real district scenarios, past and present, is a cost-effective method of building a culture of professional growth through teamwork.
Directed work groups or quality circles also are a means to this end. In a classroom or a boardroom, a work group should meet on a regular basis to address problems that require organizational consensus. A facilitator (preferably from the group) can guide the discussion with directed questions about the problem, the options, the implications and the values that direct the process.
School board members and superintendents also need opportunities to develop ways and means of approaching problems and making thoughtful decisions. Often superintendent/board conflict arises because of a lack of an agreed upon method of approaching a problem. Thus, team-building sessions can help focus on ways to reach common ground, and case studies can help to develop a process for reaching consensus.
The following checklist can guide participants through case studies and simulations:
• How does the leader respond to groups and individuals exhibiting concern and professional consideration?
• What are the relevant school and district policies?
• What has been done in the past and does it conform with current policies?
• What types of information are needed to resolve the situation?
• What are the beliefs and values of the school and the participants involved?
• What are the implications for the health and safety of students?
• What are the direct and indirect costs?
• When are actions expected and decisions made?
• How can other professionals provide perspective and advice?
• What are the steps needed to complete the process?
• What type(s) of decisions are needed? What is the process or model for making and implementing decisions? What are the options?
• How do you find common ground? Subsequent to acknowledgement, what types of communications are needed to keep groups and individuals informed and involved?
• What happened? How were events perceived? What was learned?
Technology provides increased opportunities for case studies and simulations. Threaded discussions, blogs and chat rooms allow students and administrators to work on-site or off-site. Video conferences can be used when schedules prohibit group meetings and when more time or flexibility is needed. Graduate schools use these tools, and school districts can now partner with universities or create online opportunities for themselves.
Furthermore, the content of case studies need not be limited to "real life" situations. Film studies, critical incidents and newspaper stories can be used as the basis for a case study. Personal narratives and vignettes can advance hypotheses, test ideas and, possibly, change them.
These activities provide the chance to be successful in a variety of roles, to "review the film," "do it over" and be a Monday-morning quarterback.
But the real value comes from answering these two questions: Did you learn from the situation? Now, what would you do?
References
Karen Hessel and John Holloway, Case Studies in School Leadership: Keys to a Successful Principalship (vol 2), Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc., 2006
Oscar T. Jarvis, Cases in Elementary School Administration, Dubuque, Iowa, Brown Company Publishers, 1971