This program evaluation addresses the moral imperative of narrowing the achievement gap between Latino and African American students and their White and Asian peers. If this moral imperative is to be realized, administrators must combine a deep commitment with means of enacting the commitment (Reeves, 2011). The literature is clear that narrowing the achievement gap also means narrowing the opportunity and economic gap (McKinsey, 2009). An example of the prolonged achievement gap between Latino and African American students and their White and Asian peers can be seen in Santa Clara County. Here, 42.4% fewer Latino students scored proficient and above in 2006 as compared to their White peers and 46.4% fewer than their Asian peers. In 2011, 37.8% fewer Latino's scored proficient and above compared to their White peers and 41.9% fewer than their Asian peers. This accounts for a gain of 11.9% proficient and above over five years for Latino students and only a 4.6% narrowing of the gap between Latino students and their White peers and a 4.5% narrowing between Latino students and their Asian peers.

Narrowing the Achievement Gap

    Schools and districts will continue to fail hundreds of students until educational leaders fundamentally change or "transform" current systems, structures, and practices to ones that are responsive to the needs of all students (Wagner, Kegan, Lahey, Lemons, Garnier, Helsing, Howell & Rasmussen, 2006). To assist districts in their quest of organizational systems change, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) developed the Reinvention Leadership Series (RLS). This series provides administrators with professional development opportunities based on transformative adult learning theory-learning that alters participant's beliefs and behaviors and changes the way they view the world (Mezirow, 1991) and professional development research on transfer of learning to practice (Joyce & Calhoun, 2010; Joyce & Showers, 2002; Mezirow, 1991; Showers, 1982).   Utilizing critical reflection and dialogue about current beliefs and practices, RLS activities challenge administrators to change failing systems. Activities aimed at strengthening each participant's commitment to the moral imperative provide strategies to enact such a commitment so that all students have opportunities to succeed. Such activities are vital for transformative learning to occur so administrators are equipped to lead organizational systems change aimed at narrowing the achievement gap.

The Reinvention Leadership Series (RLS)

    RLS provides an opportunity for administrators to learn about the fundamental changes needed to reinvent their obsolete systems and design implementation strategies that engage all stakeholders in the change process. These changes include focusing on the Seven Disciplines for Strengthening Instruction, understanding the Four Arenas of Change, and utilizing Change Levers and Phases as described by Wagner et al. (2006). The graphic logic model in Figure 1 illustrates how RLS activities translate into the knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to narrow the achievement gap. The activities consist of a variety of professional development delivery models including case study analysis, panel discussions followed by guided visits to successful school sites, and facilitated classroom visitations to define effective teaching and learning. The objectives of RLS activities are for site and district leaders to be able to:

• focus all stakeholders on learning how to significantly improve.
• move systems from highly autonomous work habits toward accountable, collaborative, and interdependent communities.
• recognize and identify effective strategies and student engagement behaviors that support all students in their development.
• design district and school-wide systems that measure change in teacher practice and level of student engagement, and apply this information to improve student performance.
• navigate the educational policy system and advocate for student equity.

Examining the Reinvention Leadership Series (RLS)

     The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine how the Reinvention Leadership Series (RLS) effects change in administrator beliefs and practices that lead to changes in organizational systems that narrow the achievement gap between Latino and African American students and their White and Asian peers. The program evaluation was guided by the following question: How does the Reinvention Leadership Series effect change in administrator practice and organizational systems that narrows the achievement gap? This program evaluation used a convergent parallel mixed methods design with both qualitative and quantitative data collected simultaneously, analyzed separately, and then merged. Forty-three participants comprised the experimental group and forty-six participants were in the control group of the program evaluation. Both groups completed questionnaires used to measure change in administrator knowledge about organizational systems change and ability to initiate change. The questionnaire data were also used to test adult learning theory that predicts case study analysis, panel discussions, site visits, and facilitated classroom visits positively influence the learning of new content knowledge, skills, and practices needed to initiate and lead organizational systems change. Five participants from the experimental group were interviewed to verify data collected from questionnaires. Document reviews of school and districts plans from the five interviewees were analyzed for change organizational systems, priorities, and opportunities offered to Latino and African American students.

Interpreting the Findings

     The merged results of the qualitative and quantitative data reveal that RLS did have an effect on changing administrator beliefs and practices that lead to organizational changes that narrow the achievement gap. Triangulation of questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews show that administrators not only perceived that the systems they worked in had changed to ones more conducive to narrowing the achievement gap after participation in RLS, but that they had involved other stakeholders in working toward this change. Triangulated data also revealed that the specifically designed RLS activities (case study analysis, panel discussions, and facilitated classroom visits) facilitated transformative adult learning, where participants critically reflected and dialogued with jobalike peers to change beliefs and behaviors (Mezirow, 1991).

Key findings of this program evaluation were:

1. RLS strengthened administrator beliefs that all students can succeed and the achievement gap can be narrowed.
2. RLS strengthened administrator beliefs about the importance of school and district culture in narrowing the achievement gap and that this belief manifests itself through a shared vision of success that includes expectations of good teaching and student results.
3. RLS was effective at providing specific frameworks, protocols, and tools that increased administrator's focus on practices that are purposeful and directed toward equitable teaching and learning practices that would lead to improvement.
4. RLS strengthened administrator beliefs about the importance of productive dialogue and debate for improving their own practice and the practice of others.

Conclusion

     The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine how the Reinvention Leadership Series (RLS) affected change in administrator beliefs and practices that lead to changes in organizational systems that narrow the achievement gap between Latino and African American students and their White and Asian peers. Results garnered from both quantitative and qualitative measures confirm that RLS did affect positive change in administrator beliefs and practices. Beliefs changed about the ability of Latino and African American students and how school and district culture determine the expectations the adults in the system have for these students. This program evaluation also revealed the kinds of organizational system changes administrators recognize as being conducive to narrowing the achievement gap and the ways in which administrators want to learn about these systems.

     The proximal outcomes of RLS that were measured in this program evaluation included the identification and implementation of successful organizational systems that are conducive to narrowing the achievement gap. By utilizing critical reflection and dialogue about current beliefs, understandings, and practices, RLS activities challenged administrators to change their beliefs and practice so that the proximal outcomes could be met. Results garnered from this program evaluation will add to the understanding of the types of professional development that leads to change in administrator practice as well as what knowledge, skills, and practices administrators need to acquire during professional development to be leaders of change. To this end, RLS brought the moral imperative of systems change to the forefront and encouraged instructional leadership rather than merely defining a role expectation for administrators in the change process. As stated by Camburn, Rowan, and Taylor (2003), "leaders whose professional learning experiences provoke them to reflect upon their practice are more likely to provide instructional leadership than other leaders" (p. 366). After listening to the voices of those responsible for transforming our schools and districts, it is imperative to take heed to their desire for practical experiences that allow them to acquire new skills and critically reflect and dialogue about new learning. School systems must provide transformational learning experiences like RLS, so that they are able to transform our schools into spaces were Latino and African American students thrive and achieve at the same levels as their peers.

REFERENCES

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Joyce, B., & Calhoun, E. (2010). Models of professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development.  

McKinsey. (2009). The economic impact of the achievement gap in america's schools (Vol.  

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA:  

Reeves, D. (2011). The moral imperative realized. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Showers, J. (1982). Transfer of training: The contribution of coaching. Eugene, OR: Center  

Wagner, T., Kegan, R., Lahey, L., Lemons, R., Garnier, J., Helsing, D., et al. (2006). Change