| Over the past half century school reform efforts have largely been driven as a response to the biting indictment of public education enumerated in the Coleman Report of 1966. The latest national directive, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, sought to further focus the efforts of American schools on the achievement gaps persistent within minority and impoverished school children when compared to their non-minority and wealthier peers. This Capstone Inquiry Project analyzed the effectiveness of Rowland Unified School District (RUSD), in a consultative manner, in implementing their chosen reforms. The Clark and Estes Gap Analysis Model served as the analytic tool to uncover root causes of gaps in the areas of knowledge/skill, motivation, and organizational culture. While Rowland has experienced some success, they currently incorporate up to four reform initiatives. The project team found that a narrowing and clarifying of goals and initiatives using their "Three Priorities of Teaching and Learning" as a lens through which all current and future initiatives must be viewed would allow for more effective implementation. This narrowing of focus was supported within the literature and via data collection as a means to address the root causes of gaps within RUSD. |
