Capacity Building for Sustainable School Improvement

This book reports on the implementation of a school revitalisation initiative - IDEAS (Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools) in twenty-two Australian schools in the state of Victoria, between 2004 and 2008. Most of the schools that were involved had been identified as a school in challenging circumstances. Research traces the impact of IDEAS on these schools over four years and focuses, in particular, on student outcomes. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, the research explored the impact of a whole school change process on school outcomes including successful and sustained improvements in student achievement. Key factors contributing to successful school change were identified and a definition of school success established. A significant outcome of the research was the development of a model of sustainable school capacity building (COSMIC C-B), and the principal and teacher influences in capacity building dynamics.§§The LRI is a leadership research and development group in the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland Australia. Since its establishment 12 years ago the group has researched extensively in the areas of capacity building for whole school revitalisation and the leadership dynamics that underpin school revitalisation.