FACILITATING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

"A critical friend is a trusted person who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critiques of a person’s work as a friend" (Costa and Kallick, 1993).

The Aporia principals are very adept at working as “critical friends” to support clients in their thinking about and implementation of innovation. They work as participant observers, without a vested interest, who can bring an objective eye to the process. The following are examples of Aporia activities that have focused on facilitating organizations' review of current activities, setting of strategic directions, and implementation of action plans:

• Leadership Inquiries and Leader Learning Teams (The Toronto District School Board)
• Directors of Education Critical Friends Executive Coaching Network (5 Directors of Education in large Ontario school districts.)
• Senior leadership development for strategic planning and execution. (The Mabin School)
• Design and delivery/facilitation of knowledge mobilization modules for two Superintendent learning networks across Ontario Public and Catholic school districts.
• Provincial Think-Tank for mobilizing data use in education in Ontario (Compass for Success)
• Supervisory Officer instructional leadership capacity building (Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board)
• Developing instructional leadership capacity for senior team members, school leader mentors, and program staff (Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board)
• Capacity building and critical friendship for system improvement in French language school districts (Ontario Ministry of Education – French Language Division)
• Academic Council (Senior team) leadership development (Durham District School Board)
• Professional inquiry capacity building for learning services (Waterloo Region District School Board)
• Senior leadership development for "influencing" improved practice (Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto)
• Indicators and metrics for strategic planning and monitoring (Branksome Hall)
• Responsive critical friendship for professional learning (Upper Grand District School Board)
• Leading professional learning (Toronto District School Board)
• Capacity building for leader learning networks (Lakehead District School Board)
• Building capacity in "intentional interruption" through collaborative inquiry (Northeastern Professional Network Centre 5 northern Ontario school districts)
• Mobilizing knowledge to bridge the gap between theory and practice in Assessment For Learning (Knowledge Network of Applied Educational Research — 3 Ontario school districts)
• Building capacity for focused learning conversations among senior leaders (Waterloo Region District School Board)
• Aligning functions and structures for school improvement (Limestone District School Board)
• Implementing a professional learning "problem of practice" framework (Hastings Prince Edward District School Board)
• Instructional leadership capacity challenges and responses (Havergal College)
• Embedding and sustaining principal learning teams (Thames Valley District School Board)
• Building and supporting leader learning networks (Lambton Kent District School Board)
• Critical friend support for Supervisory Officer capacity building (Lambton Kent District School Board)
• Critical friendship for system-level improvement strategic planning (Thames Valley District School Board)
• Administrator capacity building for school improvement (Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board)
• Building capacity in "intentional interruption" through collaborative inquiry (Northeastern Professional Network Centre — 5 northern Ontario school districts)
• Capacity building for principal professional learning communities (Avon Maitland District School Board)
• Mobilizing knowledge to bridge the gap between theory and practice in Assessment For Learning (Knowledge Network of Applied Educational Research — 3 Ontario school districts)
• Facilitating professional "learning conversations" through online communities of practice (Toronto Region Professional Network Centre)
• Critical friendship for administrator learning networks (Avon Maitland District School Board)
• Design and implementation of a school-improvement framework for a "learning-driven school" (St. Clements School)
• Leader learning capacity-building critical friendship (Hamilton Wentworth District School Board)
• Supporting the building, implementation, and sustainability of a Superintendent learning network (York Region District School Board)
• Critical friend consultation on the Department of Education sponsored “data-informed practice” research project (Gauteng Department of Education, South Africa)
• Establishing and supporting a curriculum and program support learning network (Upper Grand District School Board)
• Priority setting, strategic-planning, and developing an indicators framework (Branksome Hall)
• Evidence-driven focused board planning and capacity building requirement identification (Waterloo Catholic District School Board)
• Creating effective networked learning communities of schools (District School Board of Niagara)
• Building focused and impactful cross-school learning networks (York Region District School Board)
• Design, implementation, and review support for a district-wide Planning for Improvement initiative in schools. (Halifax Regional School Board)
• Development and refinement of a large-scale assessment program in mathematics, writing, and reading. (Halifax Regional School Board)
• Support for a district-wide program of strategic planning and data-driven decision-making (Lambton Kent District School Board)
• Input for a plan to support the national literacy and numeracy strategies (Tribal Group - UK)
• Support for developing and using indicators for monitoring system-wide performance (Government of the Northwest Territories)
• Development and facilitation of a process for reviewing district initiatives in literacy, mathematical literacy, and program pathways (Simcoe County District School Board)
• Structure and support for developing an organizational position on large-scale assessment and accountability (Council of Directors of Education)
• Review of student decision support software suite and recommendations for future development (SRB International Inc.)
• Formulation of technical and policy positions for large-scale assessment (Education Quality and Accountability Office)
• Review of literature and formulation of suggestions for action for embedding and sustaining educational change within an e-learning program context (Industry Canada's SchoolNet)