District X:

Organizational
Change
Steve Scifres
Chief Innovation Officer
Our Goal:

Be California’s Leader in
Social-Emotional Learning
Together, we can do this!
 District X -
Vision for
the
Future
★ 100% of students feel connected to their school

★ 100% of students feel connected to their peers

1 ★ 100% of students have trusted adults on campus

★ 100% of students state that they are encouraged by adults

to understand how others think and feel (empathy)

★ 100% of students are resilient and persevere

Right Now

We are focused on:

◦ CAASPP Metrics
◦ AP Acceptance Rates
◦ Honors Classes

Success can still be achieved in these

areas, but we need to rethink our
approach.
We need change!
And here’s how we’ll do it...
Steve’s Leadership Relationship Model:

Relate - Deflate - Innovate

 Relate

The quality of leader-member

exchange has a significant effect on
“ transformational leadership efforts
(Hang & Law, 2005)

Leader Member Exchange Theory, which we explored in our ED

700 and course, outlines how building relationships will all
stakeholders is a integral component of leading change.
My first step is to relate, by building connections through...

◦ Adaptive Schools training

to build collective
efficacy

◦ Bi-annual all-staff retreat

(get ready for the big
scavenger hunt!)

◦ Bi-weekly lunches at all

schools across District X
 Deflate

End what “used to be”, identify who is

losing what, openly acknowledge the
“ loss, mark the endings, and
continuously repeat what is changing
and why (Bridges, 1991)

Bridge’s Transition Model, discussed in our ED 740 course,

articulates the importance of clearing identifying what
practices needs to cease and then ending that respective
practice in order to create organizational change.
My second step is to deflate, by being intentional about
identifying...

◦ What’s not working

◦ How we can remove

what’s not working from
our practice

◦ Freeing up room for our

new innovative practice
 Innovate

Innovation that creates a new market &

eventually disrupts an existing market,
“ displacing established practices

Disruptive Innovation Theory, discussed in our ED 765 course,

shares that creative, innovative ideas will eventually manifest
within the organization and replace the previously removed
practice.
My final step is to innovate, by developing a social-emotional
learning model that...

◦ Uses student dispositional skill

sets as the number one metric for
learning

◦ Develop SEL courses as

districtwide graduation
requirements

◦ Create a centralized District

counseling center for students
who need additional
social-emotional support
District X will lead the way for
Social-Emotional Learning
Relate - Deflate - Innovate
Thanks!
ANY QUESTIONS?
You can find me at
steve.scifres@chiefinnovationofficer.com
References

Hang, W & Law, K. The Academy of Leadership

Management Journal. Vol. 48, No. 3. Pp 420-432. 2005.

Tilson, G. & Luecking, R (1994). Involving Employers in

Transition: The Bridges Model. Career Development for
Exceptional Individuals, 17(1), 77-89.

Yu, D. and Hang, C. (2010), A Reflective Review of

Disruptive Innovation Theory. The International Journal of
Management Reviews, 12: 435-452.