Systems: Building Faculty Involvement

Building Faculty Involvement

In this section:• Rationale

• Four approaches to gain faculty involvement

• A plan to foster faculty involvement

Faculty Involvement: Rationale

When everyone is involved in the process…

• practices are more consistently implemented.

• change is sustained more over time.• interventions are more meaningful and

relevant.• positive overall school climate inspires

others to invest in new practices.

The goal is to achieve ownership in which all faculty and staff view themselves as the PBS team.

Building Faculty Involvement: Four Strategies

• Use the existing data.

• Utilize school-wide vision process.

• Ensure opportunities for input.

• Support and reinforce staff.

Building Faculty Involvement: Use the Existing Data

The use of data helps to build faculty involvement by…• creating a common awareness of

what is working and what needs to change.

• building a climate of openness and trust.

• encouraging dialogue.

• committing everyone to the same cause.

• showing results of efforts.

Building Faculty Involvement:Use a School-Wide Vision Process

Building a common vision ensures faculty involvement by…

• allowing everyone to imagine the kind of school they want to have.

• creating clarity about what needs to change so that you can meet goals.

• giving a different viewpoint for understanding why change is needed.

Building Faculty Involvement: Strategies for Increasing Input

Have a process to ensure equitable participation in the discussion. Consider including the following:•Effective communication processes

•Staff review of draft documents

•Opportunities for dissent

•Ability to “opt out”

•Staff surveys

Building Faculty Involvement: Strategies for Increasing Input

Conduct staff surveys to…

•obtain staff feedback to set priorities for PBS implementation.

•create involvement without holding more meetings.

•generate new ideas.

•build a sense of faculty ownership.

Building Faculty Involvement: Support and Reinforce Staff

• Remember to support staff efforts.

• Everyone needs encouragement to change.

• Model ways to focus on the positive.

• Facilitate understanding of why reinforcement works.

• When people feel good about what they are doing, they keep doing it!

Key Points for Building Faculty Involvement

• Emphasize benefits.– Conservation of time/effort– Greater professional accountability

• Expect, respect, and respond to resistance (encourage questions and discussion).

• Enlist leaders with integrity, authority, resources and willingness to assist.

• Clarify how changes align with other initiatives.

• Emphasize what will happen if change does not occur.

Activity 1: Planning for Faculty Involvement

• How has the PBS team worked to build faculty involvement in the past?

• List challenges for obtaining 80% of faculty involvement at your school.

• Develop ideas to address challenges with faculty involvement.