SHEPHERDING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH FACILITATED IMPLEMENTATION NETWORKS

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND SUPPORT FOR INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Mid-level leaders are often asked to shepherd ambitious institutional transformation efforts but to do so effectively, they need resources and support. This report examines a new professional learning approach that seeks to balance the resource-intensive nature of the in-person and personalized coaching implementation leaders say they want with lower-touch forms of support that are more logistically and fiscally feasible: the "Facilitated Implementation Network." By integrating a formal curriculum with a community of practice, this model provides mid-level leaders with the learning and support they need to drive meaningful change. This report uses the experiences of the HSS Implementation Network to illustrate the potential impact of this approach.

The insights in this document are based on our previous study on Student Success Teams and our work with the Holistic Student Support (HSS) Implementation Network, a group of mid-level leaders from five California community colleges engaged in HSS redesign, facilitated by Phase Two Advisory and The Ada Center and funded by College Futures Foundation.