The Joyce Foundation's Shifting Gears initiative was launched in 2007 as a state policy change effort in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The goal is to strengthen state postsecondary, adult basic education, and skills-development systems so that more low-skilled workers gain the education, skills, and credentials needed to advance and succeed in our changing economy.

In addition to financial resources, Shifting Gears provides proactive coaching and expert technical assistance, formative evaluative feedback, and communications support to state policy efforts.

The Shifting Gears approach to systems change incorporates four strategic activities:

1) Using data to foster improvements in policy and practice;

2) Pursuing policy change to leverage improvements in systems and institutional practice;

3) Engaging the field to generate ideas and buy-in for systems and institutional change; and,

4) Strategic Communications to cultivate stakeholder support for systems and institutional change.

Shifting Gears encourages collaboration among state agencies and other stakeholders to carry
out these activities.

This paper addresses the Shifting Gears approach to systems change with a particular
focus on the logic model, and policy agenda and action plan – two tools used to guide
and support states’ efforts to pursue systemic change throughout the postsecondary, adult
basic education, and skills-development systems.

After two and a half years, several lessons have emerged about the challenges and opportunities states are likely to face when pursuing systems change efforts:

• Systems change seems daunting, but it is potentially achievable with a well-defined vision and clearly articulated plan of action.

• Multiple types of policy change may be needed for systems reform.

• Collaboration and consensus among stakeholders is essential, yet challenging.

• Proactive coaching and formative evaluation are critical.

• Ongoing cross-communication within the Shifting Gears management team is required
for adaptive leadership.

Collaboration among stakeholders and focused attention on systems and institutional change
provide a strong foundation for improving education and skills outcomes for adults. An
interim evaluation report in 2011 will provide insights on progress toward each state’s systems
change goals.

 

• Read the Report Here