Think Systemically, Act Systematically

In an effort to be comprehensive, schools often outline sweeping plans for improvement in multiple goal areas. Although well-intended, the efforts may be either too diffuse to have much impact, or so overwhelming that staff become immobilized. A school that chooses to proceed in too limited a manner, on the other hand, may run the risk of obtaining only partial or temporary success, without the necessary system supports in place to support long-term sustainability. How can schools strike a balance between these two extremes? School improvement specialists at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) suggest that schools can begin operating from a systems perspective while tackling real, pressing challenges by designing and implementing a "fractal improvement experience"--a manageable, carefully designed change initiative that is meant to help staff members gain skills in thinking systemically and acting systematically while building a sense of collective efficacy and making measurable progress. This article provides an overview of the fractal improvement experience and includes some tips for designing and implementing a fractal improvement experience. (Contains 2 figures.)