School Change Collaborative

Story Investigation Approach

The School Change Collaborative (SCC) initiated their investigation into Learning Communities in Schools with a Story Investigation Approach. To enable others to understand this approach, we are providing the following materials:

  • What is the Story Investigation Approach?
    Every school has stories to tell. This mode of inquiry combines respect and appreciation for a school's authentic story with probing around ideas, concepts and questions that might illuminate, and be illuminated by, that story. The story mode brings experiences alive.

  • Rationale for the Story Investigation Approach
    To understand the journeys that schools take, we wanted to hear from these schools and to explore their experiences using an inquiry-based process.

  • Description of our first Storytelling Investigation Approach
    Three schools tell their stories of becoming learning communities.
  • To enable others to plan their own Storytelling Investigation, we are providing the following materials:

  • Invitation and Instructions Provided to the Storytelling School
    We experimented with different formats for schools to tell their stories. This section includes a school profile form and a more detailed set of instructions generated for the storytelling school.

  • Story Investigation Agenda
    This agenda is included to give you some ideas for organizing your own storytelling event.

  • Questions Used by Inquiry Groups for the Story Investigation Approach
    These questions were used by the Inquiry Groups to focus their discussion on:
    1. The purpose for the school’s learning
    2. The leadership that enabled and supported the journey
    3. The external influences that supported or provided expertise for the school’s efforts
    4. The school’s goals and how they are monitored and assessed, and information about the students who are the beneficiaries of the improvement effort.

  • A Sample Story Transcript
    The story of one elementary school’s attempt to become a learningcommunity, told by the principal and two teachers.

  • Reflections from the conference participants
    Key Insights from the Story Telling, excerpted from a report by School Change Collaborative Member: Nikki Filby.