FROM CURRICULAR AUTONOMY TO CURRICULAR ALIGNMENT: DOCUMENTING A PROCESS OF CHANGE AT A LARGE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Abstract

This qualitative study was designed to explore and understand the perceptions of 27 faculty members at a large independent school that were involved with a curricular alignment initiative during the 2017-2018 academic year. The sources of data for this study were curricular documents, observations of curriculum meetings, and face-to-face in-depth interviews. The researcher sought to gain an understanding for how a large independent school manages the tension between teacher autonomy and curricular alignment. The curricular initiative signaled a shift in faculty culture and work at a school where teacher autonomy was greatly valued. Key findings of this study were that tensions existed in areas such as philosophy, leadership, accountability, and collaboration that contributed to the challenge of developing an aligned curriculum. Principal recommendations include: development of a shared philosophy of education and instructional vision coupled with a well-defined organizational structure are perceived by faculty members as essential components for organizational change. Focused initiatives, ample time, and adequate professional development were also determined to be critical components for administrators to consider when embarking on change efforts within their school communities.