Draining the Swamp: A Case Study of School System Design

Authors

  • L. B. Jones Hastings County Board of Education
  • K. A. Leithwood Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Keywords:

organizational design, institutionalization, curriculum change, school reform

Abstract

We undertook a retrospective study of planned change in a medium-sized Ontario school district to acquire a comprehensive view of planned change. We wanted to know how changes became institutionalized, and what types of intervention fostered institutionalization across a school system. Using organization design theory to interpret the data, we found that institutionalization of significant change depended on coherence among crucial components of the school system.

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Published

2026-10-14

How to Cite

Jones , L. B., & Leithwood , K. A. (2026). Draining the Swamp: A Case Study of School System Design. Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 14(2), 242–260. Retrieved from https://cje-rce.ca/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/8405

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