Attempting to Enhance Students' Learning through Innovative Programs: The Case for Schools Evolving into High Reliability Organizations¹

We are in an unprecedented period of call for educational improvement. This paper explores the reasons why this generation's educational reform period is lasting much longer than previous reform periods. It then asks what can be done, and looks at several “promising programs” for improving students’ learning. Third, the paper argues not just for valid teaching methods and programs, but also for high reliability implementation methods. Adults create and implement programs, students experience schooling, including new reading programs, as the programs are presented. In a high reliability organization, schooling as designed by adults would be very nearly the same as schooling experienced by children. The paper ends with implications of this reasoning.