The theory and practice of central office transformation

his study investigates a promising reform strategy: central office transformation. At its core, central office transformation is about forming, cultivating, and sustaining teaching and learning partnerships between central office leaders and principals (Honig, Copland, Rainey, Lorton, and Newton, 2010). Thus, this study used a multiple case method to examine the teaching and learning partnerships between central office leaders and principals in two effective K-12 school organizations--one parochial and one charter.

While the data show that these organizations are different in a number of critical ways (i.e. governance/organizational structure and mission/vision), they actualized central office transformation through a similar three-phased developmental process. Phase I of the process was marked by a shared value system and Phase II by collective action. These first two phases worked to create the conditions for Phase III. In Phase III of the process, the organizations actualized the transformation because this phase is marked by partnership: the goal of the reform strategy. The findings from this study suggest that trust is necessary for movement through the phases and in these cases trust increased as the organizations moved through the developmental phases. This three-phased developmental process explains how the two organizations created the conditions for successful central office transformation and actualized central office transformation. Moreover, it also serves as useful conceptual framework for understanding how they both transformed into problem-solving organizations making their work together more streamlined and more apt to solve complex problem with innovative ideas rather than standard programs/interventions.