Starting With Why: Leading Instructional Change in Correctional Education

In correctional education, instructional change cannot begin with tools, schedules, or programs alone. It must begin with purpose. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle framework emphasizes that people are inspired by why we do something rather than what we do. This distinction is important in highly structured learning environments where routines can easily overshadow learner growth.

At the core of my innovation plan is the belief that incarcerated adult learners deserve structured, meaningful learning experiences that restore agency, build confidence, and create clear pathways toward educational achievement and successful reentry. This belief drives instructional decisions and leadership actions within my work, shaping how blended learning models are implemented and sustained.

Using a Why–How–What framework approach connects purpose to practice. The How focuses on implementing a Station Rotation blended learning model that provides consistent routines, targeted small-group instruction, peer collaboration, and limited-connectivity technology designed specifically for correctional education environments. The What centers on learner outcomes, developing self-directed, engaged adults who demonstrate measurable academic growth, increased persistence, and readiness for post-release educational and workforce opportunities.

John Kotter’s work on change leadership highlights complacency as one of the greatest barriers to meaningful improvement. In correctional classrooms, complacency can appear as maintaining order without accelerating learning. By clearly articulating purpose and outcomes, this framework helps create urgency, lower resistance to change, and shift stakeholder focus from maintaining routines to intentionally transforming learning experiences.

The visual below represents how purpose, process, and outcomes align to drive instructional change within correctional education settings.

This framework is designed for correctional educators, campus administrators, and district instructional leaders responsible for adult education programming. Its purpose is to establish shared belief, clarify instructional expectations, and motivate sustained blended learning practices that measurably improve learner engagement and achievement.

References

AVID Open Access. (2023). Optimize station rotation in blended learning.https://avidopenaccess.org/resource/optimize-station-rotation-in-blended-learning/

Badejo, A. A., & Chakraborty, J. (2022). The effects of technology on incarcerated student motivation and engagement in classroom-based learning. Human-Intelligent Systems Integration, 4(4), 471–480.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42454-022-00048-8

Kotter, J. P. (2011). Leading change: Establish a sense of urgency [Video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (GPT-5.2) [Large language model].https://chat.openai.com/

Sinek, S. (2009). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video]. TED Conferences.https://www.ted.com

Tucker, C. (2021, October 12). The station rotation model: Prioritize differentiation, student agency & 4Cs of 21st-century learning.https://catlintucker.com/2021/10/station-rotation-model/