A perspective that notices an educational institution’s strengths before its weaknesses and focuses attention on improvement rather than remediation offers something of a new look in organizational development and change. The Capella Doctor of Education program has adopted that perspective, advocating that you embrace appreciate inquiry (AI) for designing and carrying out doctoral capstone research. A theoretical approach to strategic planning called strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results (SOAR), which you will continue to study in later courses, reflects an affirmative perspective that focuses an organization on its current strengths and vision of the future for developing its strategic goals. With SOAR, the focus of planning is on enhancing what is currently done well, rather than concentrating on perceived threats or weaknesses.
This assignment offers you the opportunity to consider how you can apply the affirming principles embedded in the quality improvement emphasis in education, the SOAR approach to strategic planning, and the AI research strategy to your own organization in order to bring about improvement in the processes that lead to efficient and effective performance. In carrying out the assignment, you will begin thinking about an organizational improvement project that could eventually evolve into your doctoral capstone.
For this assignment, complete the following:
- Review this unit’s studies for material on AQIP, the Baldrige Quality award, and SOAR. Feel free to search out other sources to extend and enhance your understanding.
- Review what you learned about yourself from the Appreciative Inquiry Index media piece, linked in Resources, and the second discussion in this unit.
- Select one organizational process (for example, faculty, finance, human resources, student services) that you have been considering as a possible topic area for your doctoral capstone. Note: You are not expected to have a well-developed idea of this as yet, so relax and enjoy brainstorming ideas.
- Write a paper about that process that has two parts.
- Begin with one or two pages describing what is good, strong, important, and successful about the organizational process you have selected. Note: If you found yourself thinking of a process at your institution that was in trouble, stop! Beginning with the negative is not a part of AI.
- Conclude with one or two pages describing ways in which you believe the process can be improved.
- Review the draft to assure that nothing in it can be construed as negative.
Submit your 2–4 page paper by Sunday of this week.
- Appreciative Inquiry, Quality Improvement, and SOAR Scoring Guide.
- Appreciative Inquiry Index
- BooksPlease retain the books for this course, as you will use them throughout your program.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.Note: You may have already purchased this resource for the previous course, EDD8000.
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap and others don’t. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN: 9780066620992.
Johnson, R. S., Mims-Cox, J. S., & Doyle-Nichols, A. R. (2010). Developing portfolios in education: A guide to reflection, inquiry, and assessment (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 9781412972369.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2014). Miniature guide to critical thinking: Concepts and tools (7th ed.). Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking. ISBN: 9780985754402.
E-books
The following required readings are linked to electronic books in the Capella University Library. If you need assistance, please refer to the How Do I Find Books? library guide.
Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2008). The craft of research (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Articles
Library
Baker, P. J. (1991). Metaphors of a mindful engagement and a vision of better schools. Educational Leadership, 48(7), 32–35.
Kaufman, R., & Herman, J. (1991). Strategic planning for a better society. Educational Leadership, 48(7), 4–8.
McClintock, C. (2004). Scholar practitioner model. In A. Distefano, K. E. Rudestam, & R. J. Silverman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Distributed Learning. 393–397. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Mecca, T. V., & Adams, C. F. (1991). An alternative futures approach for planning school systems. Educational Leadership, 48(7), 12–16.
Internet Resources
Please note that URLs change frequently. While the URLs were current when this course was designed, some may no longer be valid. If you cannot access a specific link, contact your instructor for an alternative URL. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.
American Association of Community Colleges. (2013). Competencies for community college leaders. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/competencies/Pages/default.aspx
American Society for Quality. (n.d.). SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results). Retrieved from http://asq.org/service/body-of-knowledge/tools-SOAR
Collins, J. (2006). Where are you on your journey from good to great?: Good to great diagnostic tool. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/tools/diagnostic-tool.pdf
Collins, J. (2013). Discussion guide. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/tools/discussion-guide.html
Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2006). Characteristics of individual excellence. Retrieved from http://www.cas.edu/individual_excellence
Council for Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2011). Standards. Retrieved from http://www.cas.edu/standards
Google. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.com
Higher Learning Commission. (2013). AQIP categories. Retrieved from http://www.hlcommission.org/Pathways/aqip-categories.html
Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. (2016). Mid-term formative evaluation: Using a PLUS/DELTA assessment technique. Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/assessment-and-evaluation/mid-term-formative-evaluation-using-a-plusdelta-assessment-technique
Jim Collins. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/index.html
McDowell, C., & Canepa, C. (2007). Reflective practice: An approach for expanding your learning frontiers. MIT Open Courseware. Retrieved from http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/urban-studies-and-planning/11-965-reflective-practice-an-approach-for-expanding-your-learning-frontiers-january-iap-2007/index.htm
Microsoft Corporation. (2013). Create and print notes pages. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/create-and-print-notes-pages- HA010362715.aspx
National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2012). Baldrige performance excellence program: Who we are. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/about/index.cfm
National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2013). About the Baldrige excellence framework (education). Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/ed_about.cfm
National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2013). Baldrige: (Im)prove your performance. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/
National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2002). Instructions to implement standards for advanced programs in educational leadership. Retrieved from http://npbea.org/ELCC/ELCCStandards%20_5-02.pdf
Quality Leadership Resources. (2016). Plus/Delta chart: Tools. Available from http://www.weimproveschools.com/tools/Tools040321PlusDelta.pdf
Smith, M. K. (2001). Chris Argyris: Theories of action, double-loop learning and organizational learning. Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm
State of Minnesota. (n.d.). Minnesota administrative rules. Retrieved from https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/
Wikipedia. (2016). Reflective practice. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice
Audiovisual Media
You are expected to obtain or access the following audiovisual materials for this course. If these materials are not available online, you may be able to rent or borrow them from your local library. Copying or redistributing the material is strictly forbidden.
Collins, J. (2013). “First who” is not just a business concept [Audio]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/brutal-facts.html#audio=74
Collins, J. (2013). Paranoid neurotics [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/brutal-facts.html#audio=74
Collins, J. (2013). The way you confront the brutal facts can mean the difference between good and great [Audio]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/brutal-facts.html#audio=64
Collins, J. (2013). Trying to motivate people is a waste of time [Audio]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/selfmanagement.html#audio=63
Other
Log in to the Harvard Business Publishing for Educators page set up to purchase a PDF download of the required case study available at a discounted academic rate.
If you are not a registered user for this site, please register using your Capella e-mail address and retain your username/password to this site throughout your Capella program.
Case Studies
McFarlan, F. W., Leonard, H. B., & Tritter, M. (2007, January). Dana Hall: Funding a mission. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. Retrieved from
Optional
The following optional materials are offered to provide you with a better understanding of the topics in this course. These materials are not required to complete the course.
Optional Books
Use the Journal and Book Locator tool to see if the library has access to the book or the How Do I Find Books? library guide for additional options.
Collins, J., & Porras, J. I. (2002). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Cooperrider, D. L., & Whitney, D. (2005). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
Optional Internet Resources
Center for Creative Leadership. (2013). 360 by design competencies. Retrieved from http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/assessments/360BDLibraryCompetencies.pdf
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2008/Educational_Leadership_Policy_Standards_2008.pdf
Grogan, M., Donaldson, J., & Simmons, J. (2007). Disrupting the status quo: The action research dissertation as a transformative strategy. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/m14529/1.2/
Optional Audiovisual Media
Collins, J. (2013). Defining greatness [Audio and video]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/defining.html
Collins, J. (2013). Level 5 leadership [Audio and video]. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/level-5.html
