Ecosystem Change and Improvement

Content relating to how ecosystem changes can take place across the K-12 school system. A significance of ecosystems is the existence of a large number of informal actors/entities who influence schools. Informal refers not to the degree or extent of influence but to nature of influence of the entities/actors in the ecosystem on schools, that are non-regulative and often normative and cultural. This could include, for example, content around specific collective action intervention, social movements, civil society action, advocacy, or structured interventions by non-state actors within the K-12 education system. It includes content on models, ideas, frameworks that lead to changes in the status-quo within schools and school systems leading to new ways through which the broader ecosystem supports schools, school improvement and broader educational reform and change.

A significant part of the work in educational leadership has been in locating the various levers of change, that help bring about sustainable and consistent improvements in schools and school education. The recognition that non-formal actors/entities and their interventions can have significant influences in schools has resulted in a distinct body of knowledge around non-state actors and informal power and its influence in schools. These have also been shown to be significantly effective in turning around schools and school systems. An understanding of how broader educational change take place within the K-12 system is therefore an essential component of educational leadership.

Educational change, ecosystem improvement, system change, Educational reform, educational transformation, approaches to system reform, Collective impact, Social impact