Instructional Capacity and High Performance Schools

Abstract

or more than a decade researchers have been studying the design and implementation of educational reforms in states and school districts. One of the major sets of issues concerns the of these systems to achieve the goal of helping all students reach high standards of achievement. The task of formulating policy has been hampered by disagreement in both the research and policy communities about the degree to which capacity is a problem, and if it is, what capacity or capacities are needed, and therefore, what should be done. Discussions of capacity are often framed by advocates of particular reforms and their beliefs about what is essential to implementing their ideas. For example, those who advocate systemic reform focus on the capacity for policy alignment, adoption of standards, development of curriculum and assessment, and changes in governance (Smith & O'Day, 1991). In contrast, for those who advocate school-by-school change, capacity building means the creation of learning communities, changes in governance, and opportunities for teachers to share their craft knowledge (Darling-Hammond, 1993).