The Woodson Foundation and Its Problems with Low Student Performance

Tuckman in his "Stages of Development' model identified 5 stages of team formation: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (CIPP, Unit 1). Based on his analysis and characteristics of each stage it becomes possible to recognise that the team has reached the stage of 'Performing'. According to Tuckman it is the final stage of development when a team is fully functioning and produces its 'best work'. The main features of the ‘Performing’ stage are (CIPP, Unit

The first goal of stage three is to solidify positive relationships between members. The second goal is to engage in more mature negotiations about group roles and organizational procedures. Once the three are stages are worked through the n the fourth stage, Work (Wheelan, 2013), can be accomplished. Wheelan (2013) identifies the fourth stage as a time of intense team productivity and effectiveness. This is the stage that is the result of creating the effective team. Once the four stages have been identified and understood, Wheelan (2013) goes on to elaborate on how a group leader can keep the team effective. Wheelan (2013) speaks of 10 keys to productivity (goals, roles, interdependence, leadership, communication and feedback, [discussion, decision making and planning], implementation and evaluation, norms and individual differences, structure, cooperation and conflict management). Wheelan (2013) also shares the ways that group members become effective team members (don’t blame others, support the leader, promote effective problem-solving, etc…) as well as how a leader can be an effective team leader (be direct and confident, involve members in leadership, adjust your leadership style to the group, etc…). Finally, Wheelan (2013) highlights effective organizational support for teams, which includes an organization support checklist.

The textbook says that during the forming stage - first stage of group development - is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership. Members “test the waters” to determine what types of behaviors are acceptable. This stage is complete

The five stages of group/team development are: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. In the forming stage, the group members get aquainted with one another and figure out what the goals of the group are. In the storming stage, individual personalities within the group emerge and group members start to figure out what their roles will be. In the norming stage, the group begins to find unity and group members resolve their differences. In the performing stage, the group members solve problems and focus on completing their assigned task. In the adjourning stage, the group begins to disband and the members transition out and into other projects.

Westside Consolidated School District should have a more robust school community relations plan that targets specific stakeholder groups and tabulates the penetration of the results from the targeted groups. The need of the School District is financial based and the plan must raise the issues of not enough classroom space and the need for a new high school building. The plan should also target providing information to parents about the need for testing is to go give the district information to build lessons for the students in the

Prior to completing extensive training and development, it is critical to develop teams so throughout the

It seems the biggest problem in the CPS district, more specifically Paul Robeson High School, is funding issues. With the district and the school already in debt, classroom funding, not to mention funding for important after school activities and fine arts classes, is very limited. Not only does this make it hard for teachers to have the appropriate resources for helping children learn, but it also makes things like Teaching Union Strikes very likely. Children are constantly being put on the backburner when money is on the line, which defeats the entire purpose of the public schooling

Wheelan (2013) identifies the four stages of team development and provides detailed explanation of how a group transforms itself from a stage one group of uncertainty into a successful, highly productive stage four team. This requires work and a thorough understanding of the many internal/external influences that can occur during each stage. A team member or leader who is well versed in these stages and who can evolve with each stage will be better equipped to deal with possible obstacles that can hinder group progress and implement practices to help the group successfully work through a

Recently, in the current year, some public schools in Pennsylvania grappled with a tight state budget. The consequences were really disappointing and discouraging. This insufficient budget had a great impact in some schools, especially schools with a high level of poverty. Poor schools are in jeopardy of facing various challenges like cutting off programs and taking out loans. For example, a nonprofit organization which is working on an afterschool program at McKinley Elementary School, in Philadelphia, stopped its activities because the staff needed more funds to get school supplies. Over the years, programs like this one, run by a nonprofit organization, have provided students with educational activities in different areas as science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and homework guidance to 501 school districts. Lack of funding also affects the atmosphere and facility in which students learn (Leach).

In the third stage the norms in group are formed, team is adapting to the leader. Positions and roles are clarified and the team move forward, they participate

Tuckman (1965) proposed that when developing teams, groups proceed through four general stages of development, namely: Forming, storming, norming and performing.

Most of the other problems the schools face are directly related to the funding issue. Buildings are run down and sometimes mobile because of the lack of finances. No child wants to go to school in a dreary building that smells bad. It makes it hard to concentrate and hard to study in buildings such as this. Every school has some type of sport being played by the students. For some, sports are the only reason they do not drop out of school. However, if finances are not available then the school should focus mostly on the education of all of its students as a whole, not just a few who think they cannot make it without sports. Without the financial issues, schools have even more problems. School violence is becoming more and more common. School should be a place where children come to learn and be with their peers, in a very good environment. It should not be a place where children are afraid to go because of the anger or hurt of other children. This is probably the major issue of the public today.

School budgets are being cut lower and lower year by year. For the past 6 years, after the recession, the funding for education has decreased tremendously. The new budgets are providing less per-pupil funding to kindergarten through 12th grade. At the same, the nation wants graduates to excel in their technical and analytical skill but the decrease in educational funds are contradicting and raise concern. The budget cuts in education systems delay the school district’s ability to deliver high- quality education to their students. Restoring school funding should be a top priority.

Bruce W Tuckman (1965) developed a model to describe the differing stages of team development. He gave us a way of interpreting the various stages groups pass through into making an effective team. As you can see from the illustration below, teams go

The Woodson foundation needs to understand all five stages in order to be successful. The stages are a useful framework for understanding group development (274). If they understand the five stages they eventually achieve their goal. Each stage plays an important role in the project. A understand of these stages promotes cohesiveness and measures progression. Once they look back from stage 5 to stages 1&2 they realize how the differences became similarities for the common goal.