What is "Punctuated Renewal"?

Equilibrium has to be redefined for complex adaptive systems to mean a state of tension as opposed to a state of rest (Waldrop, 1992).

The science of complexity looks at systems as moving through phases of equilibrium and renewal as punctuated equilibrium, but as existing in the phase transition where renewal occurs is more desirable to a complex adaptive system to ensure maximal growth and survivability, successful schools seemingly experience punctuated renewal (Brady, 2003).

“Complex systems…continually regenerate themselves” (Bloch, 2008, p. 545). These systems seek renewal and in that quest gain energy. At equilibrium, a system’s processes cease to function so a complex system keeps moving, seeking far-from-equilibrium, and exchanging information at its boundaries with the environment so the system can grow, change, and seek out more desirable states (Davis & Sumara, 2001; Heylighen, 2002; Rowland, 2007b; Wheatley, 2006a). Disequilibrium keeps order from freezing a complex system and rendering it unable to continually adapt and change for better fit with the environment (De Wolf & Holvoet, 2005; Rowland, 2007a). Punctuated renewal is the disruption of the patterned behavior of the organization around an attractor (Heylighen, 2002). Renewal is “punctuated” in the sense that the organization transcends from one state to another in such short intervals that the process of improvement is continuous (Goldstein, 2005; Wheatley, 2006a).

Stuart Kauffman talks about attractors as “a state that we collectively maintain ourselves in, an ever changing state where [technologies and pedagogies]…come into existence and replace others” (Waldrop, 1992, p. 322). Principals act as catalysts in a sort of doorway between the multiple dimensions of learning to drive a sense of urgency necessary for ideas and information to pass between intra- and inter-system boundaries. “Once you get beyond a certain threshold of complexity you can expect a kind of phase transition [where systems] undergo an explosive increase in growth and innovation” (p. 126). So, complexity itself emerges as multiple complex systems absorb each other into a supercritical complex system spanning the boundaries of the local school community, state, national, and global systems. Education needs to become supercritical by exploiting the capacity of all its subsystems and partner systems. In supercritical systems, continually punctuated renewal would emerge as the system is allowed to self-organize by leadership. Principals act as a catalyst trying to drive a system to become supercritical by garnering support across boundaries for socially just programs and initiatives (Watkins & Tisdell, 2006).

Complex systems operate moving away from equilibrium which creates tension between boundaries and levels of complexity “enabling interaction as a mutual transformation of energy or information” (Semetsky, 2005, p. 26). Boundary conversations necessary to reform rely on renewal since “at equilibrium nothing happens…time and space do not matter” (Stacey, 1996, p. 61). Equilibrium has to be redefined for complex adaptive systems to mean a state of tension as opposed to a state of rest. As power fluctuations happen throughout adaptations and happenstance, ripples or avalanches cause changes in all other members of the environmental landscape until temporal equilibrium is reached and then another fluctuation occurs. This evolution of systems is infinite and essential to the continuance of life just as it is essential to the survival of a school community (Waldrop, 1992).

As I have discussed various components of schools as complex adaptive systems, I hope I have painted a convincing picture of high performing schools as continually renewing organizations with emergent leadership dependent on collective efficacy, orbiting worthwhile strange attractors, empowering agency in its participants, utilizing multidimensional learning, attentive to and valuing diverse sociocultural capital, fostering collaboration across system boundaries, committed to social justice, alert to shifts in the environmental landscape with the optimism to approach challenges head-on (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). Leadership in a renewing organization has the responsibility of keeping the system open and vibrant through participation. In Marzano et al’s (2005) meta-analysis of school leadership, Fullan is quoted,

The more accustomed one becomes to dealing with the unknown, the more one understands that creative breakthroughs are always preceded by periods of cloudy thinking, confusion, exploration, trial and stress; followed by periods of excitement, and growing confidence as one pursues purposeful change, or copes with unwanted change. (p. 74)

The science of complexity looks at systems as moving through phases of equilibrium and renewal as punctuated equilibrium. But existing in the phase transition where renewal occurs is more desirable to a complex adaptive system to ensure maximal growth and survivability so I think of successful schools as experiencing punctuated renewal. A system requires short periods of equilibrium to gather itself, to move explicit learning to tacit understanding, and to ratchet up complexity to a new level; however, sitting too long at equilibrium weakens and might even kill an organization just as prolonged equilibrium would kill a biological organism. Any given model, solution, or practice will not work in every circumstance, so organizations continually seek new peaks in the environmental landscape (Brady, 2003).

Creating a coherent plan for a school…is evolutionary and recursive, not linear…the plans themselves need to be written in pencil…Educators…need the flexibility to take advantage of unexpected opportunities…that advance the school community’s shared vision for the school…to ensure that all initiatives contribute to enhancing student learning. (Church, 2005, p. 99)

We should begin to adopt the language of emergence when discussing underserved populations and enacting true reform in education that will benefit the entire school community as opposed to reproducing dominant sociocultural capital that ensures the continuation of the present social hierarchy. However, planned enculturation guarantees the eventual death of the system when punctuated renewal is thwarted. “Becoming other” is the language of emergence (Lambert, 2003).