Six Steps to Cultural Transformation 

Romona School
Wilmette, Illinois
Ellen Mauer, Principal
Glenn “Max” McGee, Superintendent

Slide 2, 3 - Romona Fast Facts
•	Elementary School serving 450 students PK-4th Grade
•	Located in an affluent suburb 15 miles north of Chicago
•	1% low income; 6% mobility;  6% ELL; 18% Asian; 4% mixed race
•	Assessments:  Illinois Standards Achievement Test; Iowa Test of Basic Skills; Illinois Snapshot of Early Learning; DIBELS; Local Assessments in Writing, Reading and Math
•	School is the “most affordable” neighborhood in New Trier Township and nearly all students attend New Trier High School
•	Per pupil spending is 33% below Township average

Slide 4 - Culture of Romona circa 2001
•	Neglected Stepchild Syndrome
•	“Victimitis” had reached epidemic proportions
•	Well-loved principal departed
•	Well-loved teacher did not get the principal’s job
•	Individual random acts of improvement
•	District culture:
–	Distrust, animosity between staff and administration
–	Open Board dissension
–	Majority of leaders on cruise control
–	20% turnover district wide

Slide 5 - “Theoretical Framework” for Transformation
•	Good to Great 
–	Face the Brutal Facts
–	The Hedgehog Principle
•	The Tipping Point
–	Broken Window Metaphor
–	Connectors as leaders (Paul Revere model)
•	FISH 
–	Make their day			-- Have FUN
–	Be there			-- Choose your attitude

Slide 6 - Step 1.  Leadership for Learning
•	Establishing a school identity based on diversity
•	Creating and communicating a shared vision
•	Urgency, presence and persistence
•	School Improvement Planning tied to vision
–	Student centered goals
–	Planned activities and professional development inputs
–	Measures and deliverables as outputs
•	Distributing leadership to staff

Slide 7 - Step 2.  Communication Plan
•	Main message 
–	Our school will be the best place for students to learn, teachers to teach and families to flourish
•	Internal improvements first
–	Positive notes to staff
–	Dialogue, conversation and visibility
•	External initiatives next
–	Home to school
–	School to community

Slide 8 - Step 3.  Parent and Community Outreach
•	Restoring fun to Romona
•	Empowering diversity
•	Becoming good neighbors
•	Establishing “Diplomatic Relations” 
    with the village

Slide 9 - 4.  Continual Collaboration
•	Giving new teachers a voice
•	IEP reviews for all related arts teachers
•	Collaborative problem solving
•	“Crucial conversations” around student achievement
–	Weekly team meetings
–	Monthly cross grade collaborations
–	IEP reviews with all related arts teachers
–	Team approach to class placements

Slide 10 - 5.  Collecting and Using Hard Data
•	Sharing the “brutal facts”
•	Reciprocal accountability

•	Identifying struggling students, planning for their growth and monitoring their progress
•	Having the fortitude to measure and report
•	School goals aligned with district goals

Slide 11 - 6.  Neutralizing Negativity
•	Willing to participate in “Fierce Conversations”… and we mean fierce and intense
•	Addressed union and teacher concerns promptly, candidly and openly
•	“Swam the talk” of FISH.
•	Recognized and celebrated small victories
•	Responded to parent and staff surveys and not to rumors, gossip and opinion
•	Focused on the big picture and what matters most

Slide 12 - Phenomenal Results
•	Student Achievement moved from good to great and great to greater, surpassing more affluent schools
•	Diversity unified and strengthened the school
•	Independent measures of parent and staff satisfaction increased significantly
•	“Problem teachers” got on the bus
(a few changed seats and are thriving)
•	Measurable increase in home school 
    communication (calls, cards, newsletters)
•	Poster child for positive change
•	District turnover reduced to 8% in three years

Slide 13 - Summary Points
•	Key Learnings
–	Cultural Transformation requires urgency and the ability and courage to hold “crucial, fierce” conversations
–	Distributed leadership works
–	Staff stepped up -- “We did it ourselves!”
•	Challenges Ahead
–	Sustain the shared vision and cultural transformation with new personnel at all levels
–	Avoiding “death by 1000 cuts”
–	Outreach to the community and field