Running Head: BRANDON’S FOCUS ON QUALILTY TO SUPPORT STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENT

Brandon’s Focus on Quality to Support Student Achievement:

A Four Frame Analysis of District’s Initiative

Shelly Schantz

Oakland University

Fall 2016
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Abstract

Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal

(2013) was used to analyze Brandon School District’s focus on quality to improve student

achievement. The focus on “quality in all we do” was implemented by Dr. Matthew Outlaw in

conjunction with his Brandon 2025 focus group’s vision of improving student achievement to the

top 25% in Michigan. Bolman and Deal’s (2013) four frame model- structural, human resources,

political, and symbolic for organizations was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the focus.

This analysis of Brandon’s focus on quality to improve student achievement identifies strengths

in each frame and concludes it effective in its implementation. Suggested are of improvement are

also identified that have treads in each frame.

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Introduction

Brandon Township is a relatively small rural community in northern Oakland County,

just south of Genesee and Lapeer Townships. The school district is comprised of two elementary

schools (pre-k- 3rd grades), and intermediate school (4th-6th grades), an academy (k-8th grades), a

middle school (7th-8th grades), and one high school. The district services approximately 2,700

students per year. Over the past few years, Brandon Schools has undergone several changes,

including school reconfiguration and the hiring of a new superintendent of schools. The new

superintendent formed a committee and a new vision for the district was created. It consists of

state test scores in all subjects in the top 25% by the year 2025, and “pillars” to move the district

in that direction. According to Dr. Matthew Outlaw, when this vision was adopted, Brandon was

below the 50th percentile and just above in the others. (personal communication, 2016).

According to Bolman and Deal, “A frame is a mental model- a set of ideas and assumptions-that

you carry in your head to help you understand and negotiate a particular ‘territory’” (2013, p.10).

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of one of the pillars, a focus on student

achievement through quality, using Bolman and Deal’s (2013) four frames to evaluate to what

extent the frames help or hinder the efforts of the district’s initiative.

Frame One: The Structural Frame

According to Bolman and Deal (2013) assumptions are made that make up the structural

frame. One assumption is that, “Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives.”

(Bolman and Deal, 2013, p.45). The goals and objectives in schools are centered around

educating children. Another assumption that Bolman and Deal (2013) points out is that

efficiency and better performance is increased “through specialization and appropriate division
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of labor” (p. 45). Dr. Matthew Outlaw, Brandon’s new superintendent set into motion high

standards of “quality in all we do” to improve student achievement beginning in the fall of 2014.

(personal communication, 2014). The focus itself is not an issue, but the shift from a lack of

clarity and loose control to a tighter control with what some consider a loss of creativity.

According to Bolman and Deal (2013), “If employees are unclear about what they are supposed

to do, they often tailor their roles to fit personal preferences instead of shaping them to meet

system-wide goals” (p. 72). Teachers in Brandon had been so accustomed to their personal

preferences and individual goals that they had difficulty making the shift to or more defined

structure.

According to Bolman and Deal (2013), our district fits Mintzberg’s five sector model of

organization in general and in the initiative’s focus on quality of instruction. It seems as though

our “strategic apex”, or superintendent/ central office staff directs the efforts. There is some

indication that a divisional form is used based on individual schools within the district. The

“middle line” of principals disseminate or interpret the changes and mold them to their building’s

needs. Principals have redefined some of their roles by what Bolman and Deal (2013) refer to

as, “[They] stop acting like supervisors and start acting like coaches” (p. 88). In the “operating

core”, or teachers, there is agreement in the philosophy of “quality in all we do”.

In the initiative of a focusing on quality of instruction, Dr. Outlaw has effectively moved

the staff forward in focusing on the quality of their instruction. Clear guidelines for improving

the quality of instruction to increase student achievement include; a paradigm shift from intense

focus on struggling learners to a more concerted focus on the students on the bubble (as defined

by standardized test scores, curriculum reports, and teacher observational notes). A second focus

on quality is to increase both the quality and quantity of instructional time. A new attendance
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policy was handed down to teachers which limits days that they can be out of the classroom for

school business or conferences. Alan Blankstein (2013) states, “Gaining staff compliance alone

is not enough. It takes total staff commitment to succeed in the thorny work of reaching low-

achieving and underserved students.” (p. 114). Though this quote was found in reference to

systems of support, it can also be used to look at student achievement and Brandon’s push to

improve the quality of instruction as a support to improve district achievement. The

compliance portion here, lies in this structural frame in that central office staff and building

leadership enforce this push. The efforts of the district can nudge or detract commitment, the

human resource frame can better address that aspect.

Frame Two: The Human Resource Frame

The human resource frame consists of several core assumptions; organizations assist to

serve human needs, people and organizations need each other, when the fit is poor one or both

suffer, and when the fit is good- both benefit (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 117). In 2013, after

lengthy contract negotiations, the Brandon School district imposed a 7.5 % cut in pay for

teachers. In addition, schools were reconfigured to close one school with a close knit staff. This

brought devastating blows to teacher morale. In addition, two principals were appointed by the

former superintendent for positions vacated during the summer. Bolman and Deal (2013)

describe two ways in which the relationship between people and organizations has become

problematic in recent years. “…global competition, rapid change, and shorter production life

cycles have produced a turbulent, intensely competitive world, placing an enormous premium on

the ability to adapt quickly…” (p. 129) and “…some global forces push … toward growing

dependence on well-trained, loyal human capital.” (p. 130). In Brandon, loss of students due to
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an aging community and inadequate state funding led to these changes. With morale low and

emotions high, several quality staff members jumped ship and sought employment in other

districts and ISDs. “Consistent with core human resource assumptions, high-performing

companies do a better job of understanding and responding to the needs of both employees and

customers. As a result, they attract better people who are motivated to do a superior job.”

(Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 133). The converse would also be true, when people’s needs are not

met, at best, mediocre work is achieved.

With the arrival of a new superintendent in 2014, there has been much needed repairs to

staff morale and motivation. The Brandon 2025 vision, particularly the focus on quality, has

been done in a way that values and motivates teachers (and other staff) to reach for a clearly

defined goal. Teachers seem to feel valued in the work they do. Teacher loyalty is increasing, as

evidenced by low turnover in staff, other than reassignments within the district. The

superintendent listens to staff concerns and is visible in the schools. He makes visits to

classrooms to both get to know students and staff and to notice high quality instruction. The feel

is not threatening when he schedules a visit. The staff is committing to his vison, even though it

may seem unrealistically high to reach it. The staff is internalizing what Blankstein (2013) states

as, “High-performing schools realize that (1) what they do matters to the learning of each of their

students, and (2) all children can indeed perform at high levels.” (p. 116).

According to Bolman and Deal (2013), basic human resource strategies include: building

and implementing an HR strategy, hiring the right people, keeping them, investing in them,

empowering them, and to promoting diversity (p. 140, Exhibit 7.1). “Undertrained workers harm

organizations…” (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p.146). Rewarding staff with pay is not at a level

compatible with area teachers, but is seen as heading in the right direction. Investing in people is
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an important aspect and a “…dangerous place where you have to look out for yourself or

someone else may do you in.” (p.165). In this, teachers may become defensive about the scores

of their students, finding blame in multiple sources. In this model, relationships and learning is

less effective. Though, I think the intention is more along the lines of Model IIs integration of

advocacy and inquiry. The common goals of focusing quality instruction and identifying kids in

the bubble is intended to provide staff the means to work together toward common goals

(Bolman and Deal, 2013). But the teachers in the district do fall into the trap of “self-

preservation”.

I will finish this frame with Ken Blanchard’s Gung Ho People (1997) metaphors of a

squirrel, beaver, and goose to describe three secrets to having “enthusiastic employees”. The

squirrel represents people feeling as though they do worthwhile work. In Brandon, staff feel that

the purpose of their work is worthwhile and important work. The beaver represents doing work

to achieve a goal- they work independently within a defined territory, know that their thoughts

and ideas are listened to, and to be in control of their own work. Many teachers feel that some of

their autonomy to use professional judgment is reduced because of the mandates being issued for

instructional delivery and sequence. Finally, the goose represents cheering each other on, as

opposed to policing behaviors, leaders should coach employees (p.18). In Brandon, the new

superintendent has increased this feeling among staff, however, political and outside pressures

work against push.

Frame Three: The Political Frame

According to Bolman and Deal (2013), the political frame consists of these core

assumptions: organizations are made up of coalitions, coalitions have enduring differences,

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important decisions involve allocating resources, scarce resources and differences makes conflict

central, and “…goals and decisions emerge from bargaining and negotiations among competing

stakeholders jockeying for their own interests.” (p.189). Brandon School District is no

exception to these assumptions. It is a balancing act to keep all constituents in positive spirits.

Like most districts in the state, Brandon has suffered financially from reduced funding, increased

costs, loss of students, and costly program demands. “The political frame stresses that the

combination of scarce resources and divergent interests produces conflict as surely as night

follows day.” (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p.201). While teachers felt the pinch of a 7.5% pay cut,

the school board felt the pinch and strain and pressure to protect a shrinking fund equity balance,

and central office along with the board fought to balance the budget. “Organizations [School

Board, MDE] house contests and set parameters for the players [teachers], as well as the stakes

and the rules of the game” (p. 232). These are mere examples from Brandon of some of the

pressures, or conflict underlying the political frame in Brandon.

“If political pressures on goals are visible in the private sector, they are blatant in the

public arena.” (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 193). The focus on student achievement comes from

more than just our district’s 2025 vision. It also stems from state mandates and legislation and

community pressure and expectation. I will discuss in the symbolic frame how Brandon has

been thought of as high-achieving in the past. One focus to increase student achievement is the

focus on the quality of instruction. Mike Schmoker (1999) wrote, “If schools, like hospitals, fail

to serve their clients by failing to institute the most effective methodologies, then the schools

should inform the community. Providing such information is a professional obligation.” (p. 54).

He also indicates that opposite is true, that schools that are “getting good results”, they deserve

credit for them. In Brandon’s focus on quality to increase student achievement, instructional best
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practices are being cultivated through coaching and rigorous accountability. NWEA data has

shown growth in a positive direction, with test score percentiles increasing from test period to

test period. There has also been an increase in the districts focus on the “bubble” kids- students

who are either just at, just above, or just below proficiency. Teachers are using data to group

students and provide additional support to give these students a boost. There is also a “no

ceiling” initiative that is advancing the district toward increased opportunities for higher

achieving students. Lower achieving students traditionally received the bulk of supports in the

district, these students are receiving fewer supports than they had in previous years and the result

is that they are not moving as they had before. Many of the lower achieving and “bubble”

students are economically disadvantaged students. In an article published in The New York

Times, Reardon, Waldfogel, and Bassok (2016), indicate that achievement gaps based on socio-

economic status has begun to narrow since the 1990s. Much of the credit, they point out is due

to increased research on brain development, poverty, and preschool program effects. They

indicated that there is much more marketing of early childhood programs by agencies and getting

disadvantaged children to attend them. They indicate there is still a ways to go to achieve

equality, but as a nation, we are closing the gap, slowly. “From a political view, ‘happily ever

after’ exists only in fairy tales” (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 227). Organizations constantly

change and the winners could become losers and vice versa. Change and stability are a paradox:

they are always changing and yet never really change. In considering Brandon’s initiative

focused on quality, how can the winners not be our kids? However, the focus on test scores can

create winners of today, and then losers of tomorrow if scores don’t go our way, or if others are

also improving their instructional focus on quality instruction. Teachers can come and go,

leadership may change, a focus on quality can remain a constant, as it is truly internalized by the
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staff. “…the critical question becomes not how organizations should be designed to maximize

effectiveness (how to help our students more), but rather, whose preferences and interests are to

be served by the organization…What is effective for students may be ineffective for

administrators… Effectiveness as defined by consumers may be ineffectiveness as defined by

stakeholders” (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 288).

Frame Four: The Symbolic Frame

Brandon is a district that is rich in tradition and heritage. According to Bolman and Deal

(2013), the symbolic frame operates on the following assumptions:

•   What is important is not what happens but what it means.

•   Activity and meaning are loosely coupled; events and actions have multiple

interpretations as people experience situations differently.

•   Facing uncertainty and ambiguity; people create symbols to resolve confusion,

find direction, and anchor hope and faith.

•   Events and processes are often more important for what is expressed than for

what is produced…

•   Culture forms the superglue that bonds and organization, unites people, and helps

an enterprise to accomplish desired ends. (Bolman and Deal, 2013, p.248)

In the past, the district performed well on state testing, and it was an area of pride. The

Brandon community tends to hold traditional, conservative values. The Brandon 2025 vision of

excellence in education, and returning Brandon to a top ranked school district is consistent with

the community, and organization’s beliefs about where we should be. “Myths, vision and values

bring cohesiveness, clarity and direction in the presence of confusion and mystery.” (Bolman and
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Deal, 2013, p. 270). Myths are story behind the story and communicate unconscious wishes.

This relates to Brandon’s 2025 vison because many people in the community feel that it is some

outside factor that is holding Brandon’s test scores back. For some, it is the lack of support from

parents, especially those from economically disadvantaged homes. For others, it is the school of

choice students who are bringing down our test scores. Vision is what turns an organization’s

sense of purpose into an image of the future. The focus on “quality in all we do”, for the purpose

of this paper, quality of instruction, is moving the district in the right direction, regardless of

excuses. Values are characterized by what an organization stands for, convey a sense of identity,

help people feel special about what they do. Dr. John C. Maxwell (2005) illustrated how values

can bring out the best in people with these metaphors:

Values are like glue. They hold an organization together.

Values are like a ruler. They set the standard for a team’s performance.

Values are like a compass. They give direction and guidance.

Values are like a magnet. They attract like-minded people.

Values provide identity. They define and identify the team.

The structure of public schools is largely symbolic; it teaches appropriate topics, topics

are taught by certified teachers to age-graded students, and it looks like a typical school.

(Bolman and Deal, 2013, p. 291). The focus on quality instruction to increase student

achievement in Brandon can also be depicted in a symbolic way. Using the carefully

orchestrated theater analogy of Bolman and Deal (2013) it can be seen as many individual parts

that are systematically and systemically scripted and performed. For example, the vision and

means to increase quality are scripted and disseminated from the playwright (the central office

staff). Parts are assigned and the various roles support each other, including principals, coaches,
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teachers, paraprofessionals, etc. Expectations of the actors (teachers) are given to them and their

script of quality begins. Coaches are provided at the elementary level to help improve the

quality of instructional delivery. Curriculum, or the bones of the script, is provided to teachers.

There is an expectation of the amount time spent on each subject each day. The middle and high

school teachers do not have designated coaches to help direct them. Elementary teachers

indicate mixed feelings about coaching, some hesitation about coaching is that teachers feel that

they are being judged or evaluated and it gets in the way of open-mindedness. Others feel that

their professional judgment is being taken away.

With the focus on this instructional piece, teachers report that “good things are

happening” in our students learning. They also report that there is less time for the fun stuff that

children also need and parents look forward to. It becomes a balancing act, what district,

building, classroom traditions and rituals do we keep for the sake of the whole child and family

and which things have to go in order to preserve instructional time; for example, homecoming

activities throughout the district. There are aspects of homecoming that reach every school in the

district. Homecoming week is fun, enthusiastic, and filled with ritual, and ceremonies that the

district’s community would squawk about if discontinued. Yet, many of those activities distract

instructional quality and quantity.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Upon completion of this analysis on Brandon’s focus on quality to improve student

achievement, it is evident that it is effective in moving the district forward. The overall

effectiveness is evident in the fact that district test scores are on the rise, there is a general feeling

of worthwhile work, and feelings of community unity are on the rise. The structural frame is
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providing consistency and directives of staff expectations which is increasing morale and buy in,

especially when considering the instructional staff. In the human resource frame the

relationships between administration and teachers is being mended through building and

implementing an HR strategy, hiring the right people, keeping them, investing in them, (Bolman

and Deal, 2013, p. 140, Exhibit 7.1). However, empowering the staff and promoting diversity

are areas that need cultivating. The control over time spent out of the classroom for district

business and conferences needs to be weighed against the benefit of providing teachers with the

time to grow and learn, and to perform such extra duties that are necessary in our schools. It

was indicated that staff feel like their professional judgement is diminished both by some of the

initiatives within the focus and from a political frame point of view. The climate of the political

frame lends teachers to self-preservation which negatively affects the use of coaches and use of

strategies. I suggest that a team investigate at determine which political factors can be controlled

and which cannot. Representatives from the teaching staff, administration, and the community

should look at those forces and brainstorm action plans for moving our students (and staff)

forward. Finally, it would be beneficial to identify a task force to evaluate non-academic rituals

to determine those worth keeping, those to keep but modify, and those that are counter-

productive and be abandoned. Brandon’s focus on “quality in all we do” is moving the district in

the right direction.

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