Restructuring that Lasts: Managing the Performance Dip

The literature and research on school improvement and reform tends to focus on the early stages of the change process, and to neglect what happens to make change a more permanent feature of the school's activities. This lack of attention is problematic during a period when the demands for sustained and lasting reform are proliferating. Our paper reviews what is known about institutionalization and the management of change in schools, and develops a model for managing the “performance dip,” the period in the life of any major change activity during which dicontinuation of effort is most likely.