The concerns based adoption model applied to school principals

The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) using Change Facilitator Stages of Concern (CFSoC), Levels of Use (LoU) and Innovation Configuration instruments and procedures was applied to school principals as they were faced with facilitating the implementation of the non-instructional innovation of self-service in their food service operation. The principals were in centrally organized systems that had School Food Service Supervisors and were located in rural areas of Tennessee with populations less than 50,000.

It was found that principals could be categorized according to data generated by the CFSoC and LoU instruments and procedures. An index and a matrix were developed for grouping principals according to similar concerns and behavioral levels so that appropriate strategies could be identified to help them in their role as change facilitators. Field generated data strengthened theoretical constructs showing a dividing point where principals shifted their focus from program management to student outcome. Both theoretically and by practical application of the two CBAM instruments, forecasts can be made relative to developmental trends of innovators (principals). It was shown that by forecasting developmental trends, a predictive value as to the degree of innovation implementation was implied.

Results generated by this ex post facto study of principals using a non-instructional innovation were compared to results obtained from studies done by the CBAM developers who used instructional innovations. Comparison of results showed similarity regardless of the instructional or non-instructional nature of the innovation.