Running Head: CRITICAL REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTALIZING USING BLANKSTEIN 1

A Critical Review of Oakwood Elementary School’s Departmentalizing Using Blankstein

Shelly Schantz

Oakland University
CRITICAL REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTALIZING USING BLANKSTEIN 2

Abstract

Failure is Not an Option: Six Principles that Advance Students Achievement in Highly Effective

Schools by Alan M. Blankstein (2013) was used to critique Oakwood Elementary School’s

decision and implementation of departmentalized classrooms in grades one through three.

Departmentalizing at Oakwood was found to have strengths in principles 1, 2, 3, and 4;

specifically, a common vision and set of values in departmentalizing, systems of support,

collaboration, and making data based decisions. Departmentalizing at Oakwood was found to

need improvement in principles 1, 4, 5, 6; specifically, a concise building mission, values and

goals created in cooperation with all stakeholders, capacity to analyze data, parent involvement,

and building capacity for sustained leadership.

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III. Introduction

Oakwood Elementary School is part of the Brandon School District in a rural area of

north Oakland County just south of Genesee and Lapeer Counties. The school is a junior

kindergarten through third grades with approximately 290 students. The school also house GSRP

and preschool programs. There are two other elementary schools in the district- Harvey

Swanson Elementary School (JK-3rd) and Brandon Academy of Arts and Science (a K-8 public

school academy). Oakwood students are primarily Caucasian (near 90%), which is consistent

with the larger community (96% Caucasian). While Oakwood, and the Brandon School District

is not a very racially diverse district, Oakwood is particularly diverse in socio-economic status.

The school is a school-wide Title I school, determined by 43% of the students receiving free and

reduced lunch.

Over the past 4 years, there have been many changes at Oakwood. The first change came

when the Brandon School District reorganized building configurations and closed one of the

elementary schools. Oakwood absorbed three teachers from the closed school building, several

staff members, as well as students and families. Two years ago, with the arrival of a new

superintendent to the district, a new principal was brought in from another school to replace the

previous principal who was promoted to another position within the district. In response to

meeting the curricular demands, the new principal planted the seed of departmentalizing with the

staff and implementation began in the fall of 2015. The purpose of the paper is to look at

Oakwood’s departmentalizing using the six principles of highly effective schools listed in Alan

M. Blankstein’s Failure is Not an Option (2103) and evaluate to what degree the school is

aligning with the six principles.

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IV. Principle 1: Common Mission, Vision, Value, and Goals

Leadership Team. According to Blankstein (2013), research overwhelmingly indicates

that teaching and leadership are the top two factors that affect student achievement. He further

writes “Teachers working collaboratively with the principal, therefore, lead to the greatest gains

for students…and the guiding force for effective collaboration is the leadership team” (p.79-80).

Blankstein (2013) points out that every school does have a specific culture or way things are

done there. On pages 80-81, Blankstein (2013) outlines evidence that supports effective

instructional leader teams. Oakwood is on target for building collective teacher efficacy and

closing the gaps on teacher performance. Student performance has increased since

departmentalizing began. Teachers do not work in isolation; they work together to insure that all

students are learning. There is an increased sense of responsibility as a grade level team for all

the students in that grade level (p.80-81). In the initial stages of departmentalizing, the principal

(in her first year at Oakwood) consulted with one grade level team about the concept. The first

grade team was interested in the idea and began to research and then pilot departmentalizing.

After the small group had collected some data, both positive and negative, the idea was

introduced to the staff. Teachers were encouraged to consider the idea, with the initiative being

voluntary. Individual teams of teachers began to investigate and pilot portions of

departmentalizing that year. Teachers in three of the grades (first, second, and third) decided

take on departmentalizing in the Fall of 2015. The direction from the principal continued to be

that the initiative was voluntary. This approach has set Oakwood staff up to strengthen, or get

on board, with a culture of collaboration within its grade level teams. There was some pressure

from the staff to other grade levels to at least discuss the idea. On pages 80-81, Blankstein (2013)

outlines evidence that supports effective instructional leader teams. Though a specific leadership
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team was not identified for departmentalizing, Oakwood is on target for building collective

teacher efficacy and closing the gaps on teacher performance. Student performance has

increased since departmentalizing began. Teachers do not work in isolation; they work together

to insure that all our students are learning. There is an increased sense of responsibility as a

grade level team for all the students in that grade level (p.80-81). It appears as though everyone

was and is a leader in this initiative, with the facilitation of the principal.

Mission Statement. Blankstein (2013) states that the school’s mission “…should be

fundamental to every decision at every level” (p.88), departmentalizing is no exception to that.

The written mission of Oakwood Elementary School is, “All staff will help, All students learn,

All they need to succeed, All the time.” Using this mission statement and Blankstein’s

questions to consider when determining the effectiveness of such a statement, the

departmentalizing initiative and Oakwood has missed the mark on effectiveness. In figure 5.1 on

page 91, Blankstein (2013) outlines effective mission statements as those that are: clear, specific,

measurable, and provide for failure. The mission statement does not clearly define what success

means nor is it really measureable. It is more of what Blankstein (2013) calls “an expression of

‘wishful thinking’” (p.88) which is more of motto than a true mission statement. However, the

departmentalizing model has moved the building staff forward in the thinking of this concept of

“all”. In conversations with colleagues about the mission of departmentalizing there were

several points were included. The unwritten mission of the departmentalizing initiative at

Oakwood is that each grade level team works with all students (of that grade level) in specific

subject areas to provide each student with the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain

substantial growth. Teachers work collaboratively to monitor the progress of students and make

plans for students who are not growing. In addition, local and state assessments are used to
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measure growth. This falls under the umbrella of the mission of the school and addresses how

we can ensure a pedagogy that is relevant and engaging. (Blankstein, 2013)

Vision and Values. Blankstein (2013) describes a school’s vision as “…a collective

vision that is shared by all stakeholders” (p.95). Oakwood’s vision is “Ultimately, all our

learners will be responsible, respectful, reflective thinkers who are diligent, high-achieving

citizens.” Here, once again our building has a broad, slogan type of statement. It states “hopes

and wishes” (p.95) as opposed to describing the intended change, which according to Blankstein

(2013) is an indicator of an effective vision statement. There is no clear, comprehensive vision

that included all four indicators of an effective vision statement communicated to the staff about

departmentalizing. However, the unwritten and spoken vision does provide of a vision of where

we are headed with departmentalizing and was creating in the development process of the

decision to departmentalize. Since it started with an idea, and then grew from a small group of

teachers piloting the model, gaining stakeholder (parent and support staff) input, and then

teachers investigating and dabbling with departmentalizing there is what Blankstien (2013)

classifies as a having a “broad-based buy in” (figure 5.2, p.95). Each teacher will develop

expertise in not only the content they are teaching, but also the delivery of instruction. Teachers

will gain efficiency, which will increase quality of instruction, which will accelerate student

learning. Students will develop relationships with more adults in the building and to have an

increased match in learning and teaching styles. Blankstein (2013) defines values as “a shared

commitment to certain behaviors…they start with “We will,” (p.102). The shared values that

Oakwood teacher have stated in conversation for departmentalizing are: We will focus our

planning time on creating cohesive and effective lessons in our agreed upon area of expertise.

We will work collaboratively to address the individual needs of students with a variety of needs
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and provide opportunities for students to be supported or enriched in order for all students to

excel. We will share data and observations on student achievement and behaviors regularly. We

will differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students. Having values aligned to the

mission and supporting the vision is especially important, according to Blankstein (2013). These

value support the unwritten vision and are aligned with the mission.

Goals. Oakwood Elementary School has school improvement goals of being in the top

25th percentile in math, reading, and writing by 2025. These goals created by the school

improvement team to align to the district vision. These goals are more of a long term vision for

the school, what we can become, as opposed to what Blankstein (2013) describes the purpose to

be “…the short-term mini-targets that we aim for along the way” (p.105). The school also has

the goal of maximizing classroom teaching time and minimizing behavior disruptions.

Departmentalizing came about to help move our building forward to increase student

achievement and move the building to an increased ranking. Blankstein (2013) points out:

Goals should also focus on the results rather than the process or task. It is not uncommon

for a school to have task-oriented goal…a SMART goal specifies the desired results of

these actions in terms of that are aligned with the school’s mission and vision. (p.106)

SMART goals are outlined by Blankstein (2013) in as “Specific and Strategic... Measureable….

Attainable… Results-Oriented… Time-Bound” (Figure 5.4, p.106). Oakwood’s

departmentalizing goals seem to be process goals, to departmentalize. Without a clearly defined

set of goals, tracking effectiveness and teacher fidelity may falter and the initiative could

collapse. Oakwood’s departmentalizing lacks SMART goals.

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V. Principle 2: Ensuring Achievement for All Students: Systems for Prevention and

Intervention

School Community’s Belief System and Overarching Philosophy. It is the belief of

Oakwood Elementary School that all students can achieve high levels of learning. It is believed

that all student needs; physical, mental and academic be met. Positive relationships between the

home and the community strengthen learning. What Oakwood has laid out as their mission

statement captures the belief that “All staff will help, All students learn, All they need to

succeed, All the time.” The statement captures the belief that all students can learn and it is the

job of the entire staff to be sure that they do. Our entire school staff is responsible to help ensure

that students can and do succeed. Blankstein states:

Teachers are amongst the most likely mentors and positive influences for underachieving

students, and school are often the only bastion of stability in a student’s life. A

committed school faculty, therefore, can do a great deal to enhance the life of every child.

(Blankstein, 2013, p.112)

With departmentalizing, students are placed with a homeroom teacher and group of students that

becomes their learning community. The class “travels” to another teacher twice during the day

for other subjects. Each student in a departmentalized class has the opportunity to form a

relationship with two additional teachers. It has been found to be a powerful way for students to

be assured a variety of teaching styles and personalities; as well as additional positive influences.

Instead of having the opportunity to develop strong relationships with 3 teachers (over 3 years),

there is the possibility of developing them with 9 individual teachers. Blankstein (2013) states

that it is important for all staff to hold high-expectations for students. Teachers in this model do
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not simply comply with it, they have a commitment to making it succeed for all students holding

high expectations for themselves and for students.

Comprehensive Systems for Assuring Success. Oakwood Elementary School has a

comprehensive system in place for ensuring success of most students. With the implementation

of departmentalizing, teachers are more efficiently able to target the specific needs of individual

students. Blankstein (2013) indicates that some intervention and prevention plans target

individual students and others apply to all students. Departmentalizing is one that applies to all

students; teachers in each subject have become experts in what students actually master across an

entire grade level. In the departmentalized classrooms, these expert teachers have the same

amount of planning time devoted to fewer subjects, they have more time to plan for both

enrichment opportunities for higher-achieving students and for interventions for lower-achieving

students. School support personnel are often used to provide students with another opportunity

to learn concepts that they have not mastered. Blankstein (2013) states that effective schools;

…are committed to the success for all students systematically identify struggling

students. They identify problems early as possible- well before students have a chance to

fail. The timely identification of problem is what distinguishes interventions from

remedial strategies (p.133).

Oakwood’s Mutli-Tiered System of Support(MTSS) lines up to this type of prevention and

intervention. As stated the departmentalizing teacher is better able to assess, intervene, and

scaffold learning for all learners in a grade level. Another advantage is that three different

teachers have ongoing contact with individual students which allows for catching students before

they fall. When our teaching teams go to MTSS meetings, they have state, national, and local

data on student achievement as well as data on classroom interventions and group comparison
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data. The team is able to quickly brainstorm that child’s next one thing to help move him or her

forward to achieve accelerated learning. The current focus of the MTSS process is to identify

groups of students who would benefit from interventions, before they fail. This focus on the

“bubble” kids, those students who almost, or just understand a concept. Where our system has

failed in the past, has been in the other end of the pyramid (higher performing), as Blankstein

(2013) indicates as being of equal importance.

VI. Principle 3: Collaborative Teaming Focused on Teaching and Learning

The Aim of Collaboration. Blankstein (2013) describes collaboration as “a means to an

end: enhancing teaching for learning” (p.143). He goes on to explain that, even though members

work independently, they are working toward the common goals. In these collaboration

sessions, colleagues celebrate successes as well as brainstorm ways to improve. Members are

committed to and ready to raise the bar when goals are achieved. Departmentalized teams

Oakwood consistently aim to collaborate to increase student learning by being learners

ourselves. Since the school and departmentalizing initiative lack short term measureable goals, it

is difficult to prove teachers are doing this. However, when considering the unwritten mission of

the departmentalizing initiative that each grade level team works with all students (of that grade

level) in specific subject areas to provide each student with the skills and knowledge necessary to

obtain substantial growth. Teachers work collaboratively to monitor the progress of students and

make plans for students who are not growing. Collaboration is a central factor that is data

driven.

School Culture. A culture of collaboration does exist with departmentalized teachers.

Blankstein (2013) describes a truly collaborative culture based on four elements:

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1. Specific data regarding performance by individual students, individual teachers, and

specific areas of instruction

2. Trusting, structured, yet intensive conversations around these data

3. Commitment to action

4. Evaluation of outcomes from actions, continuous improvement of practice and

refinement of goals based on that evaluation (p.148-149).

There is collaboration amongst the staff, especially within individual grade level teams, but also

among subject area teachers. Data is used to look at areas students performed well on and not so

good on. Classroom formative and summative data is used to support or question state and other

local data. Instruction is highlighted where students performed well and the team digs deeper

into areas that large groups of students achieved lower on. Teachers brainstorm ways to improve

both instruction and student performance and make a plan of action for students and teachers.

Coaches are utilized to help push teachers’ instruction to the next level. The team meets

regularly to check in and to evaluate actions. There are also informal conversations about

student learning and teacher instruction. In the year since departmentalizing began, true

collaboration has increased. Conversations with various grade levels have indicated that the

conversations have become more data driven and more of a collaboration than previous efforts

for collaboration. Specifically, “the students are truly all our kids, we are all responsible, we all

help each other improve, we look at the data more” are the statements that resounded from the

staff. Staff figures out ways to improve in various classrooms based on suggestions and

collaboration with other team members. For example, the third grade team meets regularly to

discuss the various subject areas and also to plan for reading instruction that each teacher teaches
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their own cohort of students. It has been found that knowing all of the students as learners helps

frame planning for reading.

VII. Principle #4: Data-Based Decision Making for Continuous Improvement

Creating a Climate and Culture of trust for Effective Data Use. Teachers at

Oakwood are accustomed to collecting data. Blankstein (2013) points out Hill’s work finding

that there is a “...link between purpose and trust for us: Openness, transparency, and frank

discussion” (p.164-5). He goes on to say:

 Clarifying and declaring the “purpose” provides the ethical alignment between

actions and intentions.

 “Transparency” addresses the same and also builds confidence in leaders’

competence.

 The “openness” and frank discussions provide for the professional respect that

builds trust. (Blankstein, 2013, p.165)

The perceived purpose of many of these collections are evaluative in nature. Within individual

teams of teachers there is openness and trust, but on the building level teachers are more tight

lipped about many data points. Data teachers collect for MTSS is collectively shared with the

purpose of student achievement and helping lower achieving students reach their next one thing.

In this case, there is transparency and trust. In the departmentalizing model, trust is exhibited

between members of the teams and between grade-levels within subject areas. There is

increased definition of the purpose of data collection and use. Teachers share data with the

homeroom teacher so that the teacher has a clear and accurate picture of where their students are

in the other subjects. Between members of the grade level teams, trust is cultivated in the respect
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that they are getting accurate data, but also that the data they give is not being evaluated but team

members but used to inform student achievement and progress.

Capacity Building for Analysis of Data and Commitment to Implementation. At

Oakwood in general, as well as in the departmentalized teams, the capacity of the staff to analyze

and use data is not cultivated. Soft data is at best, half-hazardly identified or mis-identified.

There is an attempt to gather the data, but it tends to be the school improvement team who

analyzes it, which does not facitlitate buy-in by the staff. According to Blankstein (2013):

…effective analysis of data requires: Clarifying accuracy of the data. Using multi-

sourced data and soft, “perceptual” data. Understanding what the data are telling

you…Understanding what the data mean…Tapping well established, high-performing

teams in open and frank dialog (p.167-8).

In the beginning of the initiative to departmentalize, the first grade team collected perception

data from parents and reported out the results- parents liked that their students were getting more

of certain subjects, had a change of environment, and their child knew all the teachers in that

grade level as “experts” in their subject. The teachers reported that they were better planners,

more knowledgeable of their subject area and pedagogy around it, and that they knew all the

students in the grade level. Actual achievement data was not shared, nor sought. Since initial

implementation last year, no other formal data has been gathered (as a whole, with a focus on the

effectiveness of departmentalizing) nor has data been analyzed for determining the effectiveness

of the departmentalizing. The staff of Oakwood has a need to be trained in really using data,

analyzing it, and using it for implementing and evaluating programs.

Guidelines for Using Data. Blankstein (2013) indicates ways to drive decisions and set

goals, “determine where needs are, what kinds of goals need to be established, whether a goal is
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achieved.” (p.176). Oakwood’s departmentalizing use of data is to inform homeroom teacher

and parents of student achievement and progress and to target and monitor interventions. In

departmentalized teams, teachers bring data from three different teachers/subjects to our Multi-

Tiered Systems of Support meetings to brainstorm interventions and supports for struggling

students. Identifying students who need support in various subjects and applying supports has

become streamlined. Supporting change, guiding continuous improvement and professional

development are areas that departmentalizing could improve on.

Blankstein (2013) says, “Data overload is common, and narrowing what is needed and

how to best use it is a challenge. (p.173). The staff at Oakwood is in a state of data overload.

Multiple sources of data- diagnostic, formative, and summative- are collected and shared. How

that data can best be used is definitely a challenge within our school.

VII. Principle #5: Gaining Active Engagement from Family and Community

Blankstein (2013) points out that family involvement in education “...leads to higher

levels of student achievement and improved student behavior, irrespective of such factors as

socioeconomic status.” (p.189). He also states that parent involvement should not just be judged

by attending meetings and events, but to play an active role at home that encourages learning.

Building relationships with the community and family should be a top priority in schools. In the

Brandon School District, this year there is a focus on increasing parent involvement in our

buildings.

Building Mutual Understanding and Empathy. For the majority of the parents, there

is this mutual understanding and empathy. The extent to which staff are aware of the challenges

that affect certain family groups and empathize with them are limited. There is a culture of
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excusing or blaming behavior issues or low academic achievement on students’ home situation,

to take the burden off of ourselves. With many of those parents, they have developed or

continued distance with the school. Teachers have reported that there is little home support for

students and admit we can’t do it alone. One advantage of departmentalizing is that the parents

have the opportunity to develop a relationship with three different teachers, so if there is a

conflict with one, the chances of building a relationship with another may still be possible.

However, many of the “absent” parents have other restraints that are beyond our control; such as

lack of transportation, criminal records that prevent them from volunteering in classrooms, or

work hours that prevent them from being able to be involved. It is these parents, who have the

most at-risk students, that we need to address and empathize with.

Many parents do not know how to help their child at home with homework. Many

departmentalized teams have committed to sending homework home that the students should be

able complete on their own. Brandon Schools offers clubs that offer help with homework as part

of another activity; for example Math club, Makers’ Club, and Spanish club. There has been a

Math night for parents to provide them with strategies for working with their student in math and

informational videos started to be created to guide parents. The math nights have traditionally

been poorly attended. In part, because many of those parents who really don’t know how to help

their child, do not attend. Transportation is an issue for a sizable portion of our population. The

teams need to address how to possibly going to the mobile home park to provide a math night

similar to the one that is at the school. This would be a mind shift, as the current thought on the

math night is that it is both a way to inform parents, and a way to get them in the building.

Gaining Involvement. In the current initiative to increase parent involvement, the staff is

looking at ways to accomplish this goal. The departmentalized teams are working on creative
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ways to get parents involved. Some of the ideas that Blankstein (2013) suggests that the staff is

considering include: Parents sharing skills, knowledge, or cultural traditions with students,

training parents to tutor students, assist with projects within the classroom, or simply reading to

students. They have also come up with ways for parents to help at home.

VIII. Principle #6: Building Sustainable Leadership Capacity. Blankstein (2013) addresses

the idea that in order for school cultures to thrive, there must be a plan in place for leadership

transitions. By building the capacity of leadership throughout the school community (parents,

students, and staff), initiatives and culture remain more constant in the face of change. There are

no systems in place for sustaining the leadership capacity for departmentalizing. Teaching teams

are on their own to determine if they choose to continue the model or return to the standard

classroom. There is some question as to whether or not departmentalizing would continue if the

current leadership changed.

Leading Learning. “The prime responsibility of all school leaders is to sustain learning.

Leaders of learning put learning at the center of everything they do…” (Blankstein, 2013, p.

221). Oakwood responded with departmentalizing in the face of increased standards for student

learning. The thought process was to raise the quality of instruction, since teachers are teaching

fewer subjects. The district provides coaching for content teachers- math, reading, and writing.

The coaches are spread thin in the district, however at Oakwood, the math and writing coaches

only have one teacher per grade level to work with as opposed to three. The coaches are able to

dedicate more time to that teacher to develop teachers’ delivery of content.

There is a focus on high stakes testing in our district. The district goal is to be in the top

25% in all subject areas by 2025, schools have been asked to align their goals to that vision.
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Student testing data used in teacher evaluation has tempted teachers to teach test driven

curricular choices. Departmentalizing seems to be driving teachers to develop the learning

because the teachers are more vested in being sure students understand the subject they are

passionate about teaching. There is an indication that the results of departmentalizing is

increasing student achievement.

Distributed Leadership. Blankstein (2013) states “The principal’s job is too big and too

complex to be done alone.” (p. 209). Therefore, in order to let go of some of the traditional

control, principals need to develop leadership teams. Though teachers may not show interest or

a desire to lead, effective principals will cultivate leadership opportunities based on the strengths

and passions of their staff. In the departmentalizing model, subject area teachers hone skills in

teaching the subject that they are most passionate about. Within grade levels and within subject

area teams in this model, teachers have begun to initiate and lead smaller cohorts to increase

student learning. An example of the shared leadership is that in an effort to maintain the

departmentalized schedule this year, teachers worked together to come up with a solution to the

fact that the school went from three sections of two grade levels to having two and half (with a

split classroom). Teachers took on the initiative of working out a schedule that allowed for

departmentalizing to continue.

IX. Findings and Conclusion

Blankstein’s book Failure is not an Option: Six Principles that Advance Student

Achievement in Highly Effective Schools (2013) has provided the lens necessary to critically

review the important aspects of departmentalizing at Oakwood Elementary School. This

reflection has brought to light some areas to celebrate and some areas to consider for
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improvement as Oakwood makes decisions about departmentalizing, as well as for general

school improvement needs in the future. The departmentalizing staff at Oakwood shares a

similar vision and core values related to student achievement and shared responsibility. The staff

collaborates regularly and has systems in place to support multiple levels of student need, using

data to collaborate and make decisions. It is recommended that Oakwood’s school improvement

team look into collaboratively creating a mission, vision, and common SMART goals with

additional stakeholder groups. It is also recommended that staff look forward to sustain or

evaluate departmentalizing through systematically preparing leadership to continue in face of

school or staffing changes. In addition, finding creative ways for parents to continue

involvement in the classroom and at home is recommended.

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References

Blankstein, A.M. (2013). Failure is not an option: 6 principles that advance student achievement

in highly effective schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.