The  Macon  Miracle:  Connecting  Strengths,  Reinventing  Education,  Helping  Children  Flourish  

Presented  By:  Dr.  Romain  Dallemand,  Susanne  Griffin-­‐Ziebart,  Dr.  Judy  Godfrey,  Kathy  Becker,  and  Jim  Pulliam  

Where  is  Macon/Bibb  County?  

County  and  District  Demographics  •  155,000  people  in  the  County  (2010  Census)  •  43%  white  •  51%  African-­‐American    •  6%  Other  

•  Student  PopulaQon  •  21%  white  •  79%  African-­‐American  and  Other    

The  Macon  Miracle:    Why  is  Transformation  Urgent?  

•  Approximately  25,000  students  •  Rated  174th  out  of  179  Georgia  districts  •  Has  10  of  the  78  lowest  performing  schools  •  51%  graduaQon  rate  •  9,441  students  suspended  –  48,000  days  of  missed  instrucQon  •  703  students  dropped  out  •  493  students  expelled  

The  Macon  Miracle:    Why  is  Transformation  Urgent?  

•  20,000  students  are  receiving  services  from  D.F.C.S.  

•  632  students  are  documented  as  homeless  students  

•  1,000  students  are  living  with  someone  who  is  not  a  biological  parent  

•  1,111  students  have  at  least  one  parent  incarcerated  

•  78%  of  students  receive  free  or  reduce  priced  lunch  

•   1,100  students  arrested  from  August  2011  –  March  15,  2012  

Why  Appreciative  Inquiry?  •  Recognized  the  challenge  of  increasing  the  “probability”  of  “buy-­‐in”  •  Recognized  the  need  to  include  more  than  the  “tradiQonal”  voices  in  the  creaQon  of  the  plan  • Wanted  to  ensure  that  employees  and  key  stakeholders  played  an  acQve  role  in  creaQng  the  plan  

Why  Appreciative  Inquiry?  •  Involves  everyone  in  the  process  •  Creates  “space”  for  people  to  envision  possibiliQes  rather  than  barriers    •  Develops  a  sense  of  unity  by  bringing  everyone  in  the  same  room  and  creaQng  a  shared  experience  •  Ensures  equitable  access  to  informaQon    

The  Macon  Miracle:    Bibb  County’s  Planning  Process  

•  Two  days  to  complete  what  was  typically  done  in  four  days  (i.e.,  Dream,  Discovery,  Design  and  DesQny)  •  All  employees,  parents,  community  members,  business  partners  and  state  and  local  dignitaries  parQcipated  (i.e.,  approximately  4500  people)  

The  Macon  Miracle:    Bibb  County’s  Planning  Process  

•  Dedicated  Qme  during  the  work  day  for  all  employees  to  parQcipate  •  Held  at  the  Macon  Centreplex  Arena  •  Co-­‐facilitated  by  the  Center  for  AppreciaQve  Inquiry  and  educators  from  Bibb  County  

Opportunities  of  Facilitation  • Number  of  People  •  Size  of  the  facility  •  Equipment  •  SeaQng  •  Sound  • PreparaQon  Time  •  Turn-­‐around  Qme  • PrinQng  •  TransportaQon  •  Food      

• Core  Team  Sign  Up  Arena    Circles:  150  Monument    Circles:  62  Ballroom  A,  B        Circles:  50    Ballroom  C,D,E    Circles:  75  Exhibit  Hall  A    Circles:  75          

Engaging  the  Core  Team  •  Core  Team  ParQcipants  •  Represented  all  employee  groups  •  60  members  

•  Core  Team  Involvement  •  Champions  of  the  process  •  Planned,  designed  the  process  •  Selected  topics  for  interviews  •  Facilitated  groups  in  the  

interviews  •  Assisted  with  data  collecQon  

•  Thoughts  of  Core  Team  Members  

 

Data  Collection  Strategy  

•  SUMMIT  ONE  •  PosiQve  Core  &  Headlines  captured  from  each  circle  group  

•  Strategic  Plan  Themes  Developed  

•  SUMMIT  TWO  •  Employees  surveyed  to  idenQfy  energy  for  each  theme    

•  IniQaQves  for  each  Theme  emerged  

What  Were  the  Summit  Outcomes?  

• ParQcipants  in  the  Summits  created:    •  6  Focus  Areas    •  22  Goals  

•  Strategic  Plan  • District  Management  Plan  •  Research-­‐based  iniQaQves  •  InnovaQve  iniQaQves  

Key  Initiatives  •  Year-­‐round  school    •  InstrucQon  in  Mandarin  Chinese    for  all  students  beginning  in  kindergarten  •  System-­‐wide  porfolio  schools  of  choice    

Key  Initiatives  • Proficiency  for  all  students  in  numeracy  and  literacy  by  third  grade  •  Students  earn  up  to  30  college  credits  by  graduaQon  • Change  the  culture  of  schools  through  system-­‐wide,  strategic  professional  learning  

Key  Initiatives  •  Integrate  21st  Century  teaching  tools  in  the  classroom  and  in  the  home  • District  Welcome  Center  to  provide  informaQon  and  training  to  parents  • Gihed  instrucQon,  Advanced  Placement  classes,  and  Honors  classes  for  all  students  

Key  Initiatives  •  Students  iniQate  a  porfolio  they  will  conQnue  to  develop  through  high  school  • Dormitories  for  students  experiencing  unanQcipated  circumstances  

Lessons  Learned  •  Including  all  stakeholders  is  powerful  • Clear  expectaQons  and  training  and  supporQve  scripts  are  important  to  ensure  the  message  and  experience  is  consistent  • DedicaQng  4  full  days  to  the  process  would  have  been  valuable  

Lessons  Learned  •  The  Core  Team  plays  a  criQcal  role—selecQon  and  training  is  key  •  IniQate  the  Strategic  Planning  process  AFTER  you  have  leaders  in  place  to  lead  the  work  •  Using  exisQng  leaders  meant  that  “old”  mindsets  could  interfere  with  the  work  

Lessons  Learned  •  For  large  scale  summits,  develop  a  plan  that  ensures  everyone  hears  the  work  of  other  groups  • Be  prepared  to  address  the  fact  that  not  everyone  will  agree  with  everything  (yet)  • Be  prepared  to  address  the  fact  that  some  will  be  against  the  plan  for  various  reasons  

Bibb  County’s  Successes  

•  The  process  and  the  inquiry  created  hope  and  enthusiasm  •  The  effort  resulted  in  a  comprehensive,  research-­‐based  innovaQve  plan  that  was  approved  by  the  School  Board  

Bibb  County’s  Successes  •  The  inquiry  created  broad-­‐based  engagement  in  the  conversaQon  about  educaQon  •  The  inquiry  engaged  individuals  not  previously  included  •  The  inquiry  engendered  support  

Bibb  County’s  Opportunities  •  Engage  and  maintain  “buy-­‐in”  •  Build  equity  so  all  students  excel—create  unified  support  •  Change  the  culture  of  the  organizaQon  and  community  •  Help  people  to  focus  their  energy  in  a  posiQve  way  

Bibb  County’s  Next  Steps  • Strong  implementaQon  • CommunicaQon  •  Building  understanding  of  strategies  •  Build  understanding  of  each  individual’s  unique  role  

•  Impact  of  IniQaQves  on  students  and  staff  •  Communicate  expected  outcomes  of  each  iniQaQve  

•  Build  understanding  of  requirements  from  students  and  parents    

Bibb  County’s  Next  Steps  

• Create  and  celebrate  quick  wins  • ConQnue  to  support  the  strong  guiding  coaliQon  

Why  was  this  inquiry  so  powerful?  

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