Subject: System Dynamics and School Effectiveness Research

Posted by Gary Hirsch on 10/13/2004
In Reply To:System Dynamics and School Effectiveness Research Posted by Peter Robertson on 10/11/2004

Message:

Dear Peter,

I can suggest a couple of things to look at that are relevant to your quest, if not entirely on target. I have developed a "microworld" of a school system going through school reform. I presented it at the 2002 ST/DM conference. You can find the paper at

http://www.clexchange.org/ftp/conference/cle_2002/33_Hirsch.pdf

and I believe it's also available through the ERIC clearinghouse. The school reform model that underlies the microworld was based on an earlier model of innovation and change in schools that you can also get through CLE (http://www.clexchange.org/search/cle_docsearch.asp?searchstring=Gary+B.+Hirsch&search=1&Go3.x=14&Go3.y=14)

There are several measures of school effectiveness embedded in the school reform model. The numbers in the model are based on subjective estimates rather than being empirically derived, but the model may suggest parts of a framework on which you could hang empirical data.

There is also a human resources model of teacher recruitment and retention that I developed with Dan Burke and his colleagues at CNA Corp. that is included in the presentations at the 2004 ST/DM conference. You can find the slides from that presentation at

http://www.clexchange.org/ftp/conference/cle_2004/31_Critical%20Issues.pdf


Hope this is helpful.

Gary Hirsch
Creator of Learning Environments