Collaborative Assistance in a Highly Prescribed School Reform Model: The Case of Success for All

Abstract

This article focuses on how the Success for All Foundation (SFAF)—the nonprofit intermediary organization that promotes Success for All—works with educators in schools to increase capacity for learning and instruction. Success for All is a comprehensive school reform model that primarily centers on early literacy intervention. Building on research on intermediary organizations and situated learning, we examine how SFAF structures professional development and the types of relationships the organization cultivates with practitioners. At a glance, although much of the theory, strategy, and tools driving the SFAF's approach to school reform seem technically oriented and highly prescribed, our investigation indicates that the deeper process of creating knowledge for school improvement is a collaborative, situated endeavor. Moreover, the study reveals that the process of learning and professional development within the program is a result of the ongoing, dynamic interplay among the SFAF, local conditions, and the broader policy context. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.