Change. It can be exciting. It can also be tough. And it happens a lot in international schools. How do we successfully navigate the twists and turns of the change process? At first, new ideas and the buzz around implementing them can feel electrifying. But here’s the catch: often, the people involved, the processes, and the long-term sustainability of these ideas—whether they’re initiatives or programs—don’t quite make it past the starting line.

So, Why Does This Happen?

Audrey and David have been through countless new initiatives in schools over the years, and we have sometimes wondered what makes some changes "stick" while others fall flat. That curiosity led us to Dr. Jim Reese. Many of you may know Jim, either as the previous facilitator behind the Harvard Project Zero Summer Institutes or as a trusted consultant in your own school.

Jim lives in Washington, DC. After a long career teaching in international and U.S. public schools, he now works as a consultant with schools, museums, and educational organizations. Jim has had a long-term affiliation with Project Zero, a research group at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

In 2004, Jim co-authored an article about managing change in a school to help ensure that it lasts. The article was called "When Change Has Legs: Four key factors help determine whether change efforts will be sustained over time." Each "leg" refers to one aspect of the change; all four are required in order for the change to last.

Our guiding question for the episode was, “What are proven ways to bring about sustainable change in international schools?”

The Four Legs of Sustainable Change are:

• Frameworks — The structures that guide and support learning
• Leaders — The people who champion and drive the process
• Community — The collective buy-in and engagement of everyone involved
• Institutionalization — Embedding change so it becomes part of the school’s DNA

Resources mentioned in the episode:

When Change Has Legs

Harvard Project Zero

Edtech Co-Op Podcast interview with Jim (2015)

Professional Development Collaborative at Washington International School

Jim's Contact Information: LinkedIn

Categories: PD | Leadership | School Change

This episode was recorded on April 14th, 2025.

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.