Methodology

The design of the Rowland-Ball Partnership “Stories of Personal and Organizational Transformation” project began with the crafting of a single question that would best elicit a story of transformation from anyone in Rowland Unified School District (RUSD) who had worked with the Rowland-Ball Partnership. The Ball Education Initiatives (EI) Team along with its thought partners Hallie Preskill and Vicki Zakrzewski brainstormed possible questions, which were then put before a focus group made up of approximately ten RUSD employees and parents from various schools and the district office. After much discussion, the final question chosen for the project was, “Tell me about one memorable experience you’ve had while working with the Ball Partnership that has affected your thinking, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, teaching, and/or relationships.”

Stories were originally scheduled to be gathered in March of 2009, but because of the challenges faced by the district due to massive financial cuts, the collection of stories was rescheduled for May. In April, personal invitations to participate in the project were sent to fifty teachers, administrators, and parents who had worked extensively with the Ball Partnership over the last three years. A general invitation was also sent via e-mail to every employee in the district. Principals were asked to encourage their staff to participate as well.

Each school and the district office received a sign-up sheet with the specific date and times that the “Ball Mobile” (the 24-foot RV that served as the story-collection site) would be at their school. A total of sixty-one people from eighteen schools and the district office signed up to be interviewed: these included teachers, principals and vice-principals, an administrative assistant, a district nurse, Cotsen Mentors, an account clerk, district office administrators, a parent academic advisor, Literacy Coaches, Special Education teachers and administrators, and a parent of a third grader.

The majority of the stories were collected over a four-week period between May and June 2009. To collect the stories, Hallie or Vicki drove the Ball Mobile to the schools or district office where people had signed up to be interviewed. One-on-one interviews were conducted in the comfort and privacy of the Ball Mobile, away from the hustle and bustle of classrooms and offices. Each interview began with the question stated in the first paragraph, which was then followed up with clarifying questions that helped elicit more details and/or deeper insights.

The interviews, which lasted between ten and forty-five minutes, were audio recorded, transcribed, and edited into story form. The edited story was then e-mailed to the storyteller who made final corrections and gave his/her final approval to publish the story.