Abstract
Purpose. This study explored the indirect leadership strategies employed by central office administrators relative to the creation of successful institutionalization of high school programmatic change. This study focused on the successful and unsuccessful employment by central office administrators of the nine institutionalization elements identified in Harvey's Checklist for Change, and identified the behaviors and activities employed by central office administrators to promote successful and unsuccessful programmatic change. Methodology. Descriptive research methods and eight case studies were utilized in this study. The population was randomly selected and consisted of eight deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, or directors in the area of curriculum and instruction in public union high school and unified school districts in Orange County, California. Each central office administrator identified two principals or teachers that he/she had most supported in both a successful and unsuccessful institutionalization of a high school programmatic change. Telephone interviews were conducted to collect information related to the purpose of the study. Findings and conclusions. Central office administrators did foster school site reform by employing Harvey's elements of the institutionalization of change. Five general behaviors were identified: (1) establishing a need for the change by timing it with another curricular event or program that is of importance to school site staff; (2) selecting a central committee of as many strong teacher leaders as feasible along with the site principal to plan, communicate, advocate, and implement the change at the school site; (3) overtly and covertly advocating the realism, doability and description of the change to the board, central office administration, site administration, teachers, and parents; (4) identifying and committing adequate resources up front for the planning and implementation of the change; and (5) developing appropriate, flexible time lines for the planning and implementation of the change which are carefully monitored throughout the process.