Education

The Camino Real Story: Shifting an Urban School’s Community of Practice

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Research has revealed that the adult culture in a school can undermine most school reform efforts (Sarason in Revisiting “The culture of the school and the problem of change”. Teachers College Press, New York, NY, 1996; Payne in So much reform, so little change: the persistence of failure in urban schools. Harvard Education Press, Cambridge, MA, 2008). However, little research examines how to systematically confront this challenge. This case study presents findings of how a strategic focus on the adult culture in the building can result in dramatic school changes. It reveals how a change towards working with the most effective teachers in a school can transform the adult community of practice (Wenger 1998). Such a transformation is a necessary precursor to implementing any instructional reforms. This article offers ideas for shifting the teachers’ community of practice.

Publication Title

Urban Review

Publication Date

2015

Volume

47

Issue

1

First Page

161

Last Page

183

ISSN

0042-0972

DOI

10.1007/s11256-015-0322-0

Keywords

community of practice, educational change, school leadership, school reform, urban education

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