Governing Board
Mr. Doyle W. Burke
Governing Board President
Maricopa County Community
College District
2012
Dear Maricopa,
In 1983, The National Commission on Excellence in Education presented
a report on education in American public schools titled “A Nation
at Risk.” In the report, the Commission stated that “…the
educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by
a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation
and a people.”
Further, the report stated this indictment of the educational system: “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”
In April, 2013, we will look back on three decades of educational planning to improve America’s schools. Despite the implementation of myriad programs, we still read reports of American students’ falling behind other countries in math and science, reports of significant high school dropouts, reports of students’ testing into developmental courses when they enter college, and reports of employer criticisms of college graduates’ skill levels.
In Arizona, approximately 24 of every 100 high school students drop out before graduation. Of the 76 graduates, approximately 38 go to college; and among the students who come to the Maricopa colleges, approximately 22 test into developmental math; approximately 15 test into developmental reading; and approximately 13 test into developmental English.
Since 2008, budgets for public school and higher education have decreased, despite a growing number of students. At the same time, both legislators and citizens are demanding greater accountability from teachers and schools to effect student success; and President Obama has called for an increase in the number of citizens with baccalaureate degrees to meet the employment needs of new jobs that require advanced education.
Also, in June 2011, President Obama announced a major initiative to dramatically enhance and improve industry partnerships with community colleges and build a nation-wide network to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements. To achieve this goal, the community colleges will need to increase the number of certificates, associate degrees, and transfers to universities or four year colleges.
The Maricopa Community College District has responded to the national goal of increasing the number of graduates from our colleges by fifty percent in this decade. In subsequent years, the administration will provide annual metrics reports to reflect achievement toward that outcome.
The Board recognizes that our colleges face significant challenges this decade, but we are confident that administration, faculty, and staff have the ability to reach this goal. The Maricopa Community College District has a history of improving curriculum, educational programs, student services, and community involvement. Innovation is part of our chemistry, and numerous programs initiated at the colleges and in the District Office have exemplary success.
Recently, our Chancellor, Dr. Rufus Glasper, has introduced literature about disruptive innovation and disruptive governance to the Chancellor’s Executive Council and the Governing Board, and those concepts will become a continuing discussion in the Maricopa District. Disruptive Innovation is an approach that allows colleges and universities to focus on the best ways to use people, technology, and processes to enhance delivery and add value to its services.
The literature on disruptive innovation does not recommend doing away with all programs currently in place, but application of disruptive innovations calls for implementing new methods to serve students, as opposed to refining a current system. In addition, the literature emphasizes a collaboration of efforts by faculty, administration, and staff as opposed to imposing change on educational practices.
Glibly stated, disruptive innovation leads to activities that allow us to serve more students, to improve quality, and to reduce costs.
Disruptive governance, on the other hand, reflects a change of perspective by Board members. We are committed to Policy Governance, which leads us to establish outcomes and to evaluate achievement of outcomes. Disruptive governance does not conflict with Policy Governance; rather, the concept provides for greater discussion among Board members, the Chancellor, and the colleges regarding outcomes.
Disruptive governance can be divided into two broad practices: creating more time for innovative and exceptional governance work; and using the “found” time to change existing practices, structures and culture to promote more critical governance thinking and to create new shared mental models of governing and innovation.
As we develop greater awareness of disruptive innovation and disruptive governance, ideas will emerge about the most pressing needs of the Maricopa District as previously identified and prioritized by the Governing Board. However, I ask the Board and the Chancellor to consider an area of research and innovation relating to students in developmental math, reading, and English courses.
The number of students who test into developmental courses is a national concern, and the Board recognizes that Maricopa faculty and administrators are working diligently to address student needs and that they have developed exceptional programs at campuses, and that they share information at the annual Student Success Conference. Nonetheless, the District still has work to do to increase the number of students who must develop skills to perform effectively in 100-level courses.
Perhaps we could develop strategies of disruptive innovation to focus on collaborative programs to serve more students, to improve quality, and to reduce costs.
In our discussions of disruptive innovation and disruptive governance, we need time to understand the concepts and to initiate opportunities for staff, administration, and faculty to think creatively and collaboratively to help students achieve success.
We have been innovative for decades. However, current needs require greater innovation. The Board has confidence that employees and students will build on past successes to create more effective educational programs and processes in this decade, and we are eager to observe these innovations evolve.
Bibliography
National Commission on Excellence. “A Nation at
Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform.” A Report to the
Nation and Secretary of Education. United States
Department of Education. 1983.
http://reagan.procon.org/sourcefiles/a-nation-at- risk-reagan-april-1983.pdf.
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