"For over 40 years, Michael Fullan has been one of the world's most important thinkers on education policy. In this important new book, he reflects on what we've gotten wrong with our efforts to reform and improve schools, and he offers clear and compelling recommendations on what we must do differently if schools are to meet the learning needs of future generations. Fullan is no bright-eyed optimist. He understands from years of experience what gets in the way of change so he offers advice to educators, parents, and policymakers on what they can do to overcome the barriers to create the schools we so desperately need. For those who share my belief in the importance of education, this book is just what we need to carry forward the work of school change."
—Pedro Noguera, dean, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
"The latest truly remarkable addition to the panoply of Fullan’s contribution to global educational research, policy, and practice, the sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change brings it all together. This is the work of a seer: a searing synthesis of what we now know about system change with a profound knowledge, moral insight, and intuitive power to identify the breakthrough we so desperately need to shift our learning systems. A breakthrough of ‘proximity to practice'—with the absolute imperative to act now!"
—Anthony Mackay, CEO, Centre for Strategic Education, Melbourne, Australia
“Capturing over 60 years of educational reform, Fullan is as close to a living LLM—our own human educational Chat GPT as we will get. This is the definitive book that articulates in plain language where we need to go and how to get there. It is a journey worth joining.”
—Michael Matsuda, superintendent, Anaheim Union High School District
"Michael Fullan’s latest edition of his seminal work on educational change summarizes years of research and unsuccessful reform initiatives. Looking forward, he provides practical guidance for needed educational reform. Keeping relationships at the forefront, he captures the complexity of leadership in a time of technological advancements with artificial intelligence and complex societal challenges."
—Thomas D’Amico, director of education, Ottawa Catholic School Board, Canada
"In the aftermath of the global pandemic, the clamor among researchers and reformers to reimagine public education has intensified. Michael Fullan gives us new evidence and examples of how to transform the whole system. The New Meaning of Educational Change reminds practitioners and policymakers of lessons not yet learned, as well as how to capitalize on new opportunities to create the schools that every student deserves to have in our rapidly uncertain world. Run, don’t walk, to pick up and read the sixth edition!"
—Barnett Berry, senior research fellow, Learning Policy Institute
“Michael Fullan brings the reader on a compelling 60-year journey of educational change. His honesty in examining why reforms have failed (including those he was part of) highlights his humility and willingness to continue to challenge the status quo. His concept of 'systemness' is the way forward: uniting students, teachers, parents, and community as the center of gravity for education. These new findings will guide ours, and other education systems, in relinquishing control at the top, as the people doing the work must control it.'"
—Tiffany Bastin, assistant deputy minister, New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
"In this sixth edition of his groundbreaking book, the world’s leading expert on educational change reflects on 60 years of efforts to improve education systems. In doing so, he challenges his own thinking in order to propose new drivers for educational change. Fullan recommends powerful new strategies that are a must for anyone serious about system transformation in 2025 and beyond. I have no doubt that this book will continue Fullan’s enormous success in influencing policy and practice globally."
—Mel Ainscow, emeritus professor of education, University of Manchester, UK
"Over the last 40 years, Michael Fullan has been the most influential writer and thinker about educational change in the developed world. He has an unmatched ability to interpret education research and socioeconomic trends for principals and teachers. He is a master of language as well as educational research. This new edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change is a remarkable work. In it, Fullan traces not only the trends and changes of the last 40 years, but also the evolution of his own thinking in response to and anticipation of those trends and changes. Almost every section reveals a new insight or provokes an important debate. Every educator and reformer, whatever their perspective, will learn from and enjoy it."
—Sir Michael Barber, chancellor, University of Exeter, UK, and chair emeritus, Delivery Associates
"The ideas and conclusions in the new edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change beautifully capture how successful systemic change can be accomplished in reality! In 2007, we started an innovation unit called Ceibal, whose mandate was to deploy laptops and internet for all children in public education in Uruguay. It was a program of equality and access. In 2009, we started deploying mathematic and reading platforms. Then we realized that we needed a more holistic view on education and change, and in 2010 we invited Michael Fullan to help us. Since then, Ceibal and Uruguay have worked in partnership with Michael and his team, who have been an inspiration on systemic change resulting in widely recognized success. Fullan’s new edition is a must-read for anyone seeking system transformation in learning."
—Miguel Brechner, president, Plan Ceibal, Uruguay
"The New Meaning of Educational Change, Sixth Editionis an astonishing piece of work that breeds hope and inspires participation at every level of the system. Fullan delivers unparalleled insight, pragmatic optimism, and a renewed (and much needed) sense of hope for all who are deeply committed to transforming the education system. Through a systematic critique, Fullan lays bare the systemic failures of the past while charting a bold path forward for the future—one that calls for the collective power and active participation of students and teachers, collaborating as equal partners in reshaping education and the learning process. This book serves as both a manifesto and a powerful call to action. It provides exciting pathways for those of us on the front line. It challenges educators, policymakers, and communities alike to rethink their roles, embrace shared responsibility, and work together to build an education system that meets the demands of an increasingly complex world. Fullan's vision is one of deep, lasting change—driven by co-learning, collaboration, and a commitment to the greater good."
—Marie-Claire Bretherton, deputy CEO, Waterton Academy Trust, UK
"I love this book. There’s no question that we need to up the ante when it comes to education reform in the United States and around much of the world. The current picture of learner outcomes, even using traditional measures, is messy and troubling. Frustration is at peak level for many of us who have witnessed what feel like endless cycles of reform efforts. Dr. Fullan not only takes us on a multiple reform efforts journey, he also offers solutions. The New Meaning of Educational Change is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our children and of our democracies."
—Jean-Claude Brizard, president and CEO, Digital Promise Global, and former CEO, Chicago Public Schools
"This is a brilliant book! Not only does the author clearly outline what has changed in education over decades from a well-informed perspective, but Fullan also presents a clear picture of the direction education must embrace for learners to thrive and the for the system to flourish. His claim that ‘you learn by purposeful doing with diverse others’ is a mantra and call to action around systemic transformation but also acts as a mindset, the essence of all equity, diversity, and inclusive work. A moral purpose of education with the aspiration for learners to be ‘good in society, good for society’ is a brilliant North Star we could and should all embrace. Buy it!"
—Jean Clinton, clinical professor, department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience, McMaster University, Canada
"Michael Fullan’ssystem analysis is galvanizing! For decades, Fullan has been widely revered as the father of educational change research. In this book, he provides an indispensable retrospective of 50+ years on what has worked—and what hasn’t—in the quest for school improvement. Looking ahead, Fullan provides a critically important call to action to genuinely engage students, teachers, principals, and community members as copilots in educational transformation. This book is a must-read for everyone invested in a better future."
—Amanda Datnow, professor and chancellor's associates endowed chair, department of education studies, University of California, San Diego
"In his best work yet, Michael Fullan makes the complex simple, summarizing six decades of scholarship to detail a provocative and promising blueprint for deep learning and meaningful system transformation. The New Meaning of Educational Change is an evidence-based compendium that inspires hope and ignites action. This brilliant piece fulfills Fullan’s promise to deliver real practical strategies for enhancing the learning and well-being of students, their stakeholders, and humanity overall."
—Stephen de Groot, president and co-founder, Brivia
"In the sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change, Michael Fullan shows us clearly where we have gone wrong over the past decades. He then outlines a path toward meaningful change as we prepare for the next wave of initiatives. Fullan brings a strong historical perspective as well as a visionary’s view of what lies ahead. He shares what kind of leadership will be necessary to end up where we want to be: in a place where we prepare every student for 21st-century learning."
—Zaretta Hammond, educational consultant, and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
"This is an exceptional book outlining a paradigm shift for those working within the field of educational change. It shines a light on the limitations of decades of reform while offering hope that a new and better pathway is ahead. Insightful, critical but deeply practical and useful, this book is Fullan at his very best, a game changer. I love this book. I could not stop reading it."
—Alma Harris, professor of leadership in education, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales
"I was privileged to read the first draft of the Meaning of Educational Change in 1982. I found Michael’s comprehensive analysis breathtaking. In the subsequent editions, Michael became more skeptical and critical of the increasing linearity and orthodoxy of top-down policy change. Here in the sixth edition, he confronts the issue head on and gives us a book as groundbreaking as the first. He explains clearly why top-down change, however rational, can never work and proposes a new paradigm, based on his and others scholars' fine-grained action research that integrates the three levels of bottom, middle, and top, and which starts crucially from the bottom. In the sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change, Michael Fullan offers us a model and strategy for educational change that will enhance the life chances for generations of students to come."
—David Hopkins, chair of educational leadership, University of Bolton, UK, and former dean of education, University of Nottingham, UK
"The New Meaning of Educational Change, Sixth Edition offers a powerful critique of what has been wrong with our policies and actions for the past 60 years. Fullan’s ‘systemness’ solution unites and mobilizes students, educators, and communities for meaningful change. Moving beyond top-down reforms, Fullan links leadership at all levels of the system to drive change. By integrating global competencies and leveraging technology to enhance human connection, Fullan provides a clear path for building innovative, student-centered systems. We are deeply grateful for his transformative insights into today’s educational challenges."
—John Malloy, assistant executive director, Leadership Network, AASA
"The sixth edition of Michael Fullan’s iconic The New Meaning of Educational Change takes readers on an illuminating six-decade journey through the evolving landscape of educational change. With sharp insight and heartfelt honesty, Fullan unpacks the essential lessons learned—and too often ignored—about how to transform education systems. While his reflections are sometimes tinged with skepticism in whether the right direction can be found, Fullan’s ultimate message is one of optimism and action. Real transformation begins when people step up to take action together. This edition is an inspiring manifesto for anyone passionate about reshaping the future of education."
—Pasi Sahlberg, professor of educational leadership, The University of Melbourne, Australia
"Who else but Michael Fullan could bring together a multi-decade view of educational change about both our too few victories and our many failures? Michael has the ability to get to the crux of systemic change. He brings an incredibly knowledgeable and informed insight about where we have been, and where we need to go next"
—John Tinney, leadership consultant, and former superintendent, Surrey School District, Canada
“Fullan’s reflections on the past 60 years of failure in ‘education reform’ are invaluable. But even more so are his insights on how a fundamental reorientation— ‘reforming how we think about reform’—is unfolding and why it could move far more quickly than many suspect. Embracing his ‘systemness’ whereby students, educators, and communities work together to transform learning brings us full circle back to a much older sensibility that we are all part of the real ‘education system’ and that it’s evolution is our common job. In a time where our greatest adversary may be the very hopelessness that repeated education reform failures have engendered, Fullan’s grounded optimism may be his greatest contribution.”
—Peter M. Senge, co-founder, Center for Systems Awareness
“Offering a fresh perspective on 6 decades of education reform, this book sheds light on crucial lessons learned while addressing the pressing complexities of today’s educational landscape. With grounded optimism, Fullan calls on us to rise above frustration and fatigue, inviting leaders, teachers, and students to partner in co-creating a thriving educational future.”
—Simon Breakspear, adjunct senior lecturer, University New South Wales, Australia
“Michael Fullan has done it again. The sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change is as groundbreaking, analytical, insightful, and relevant as the first edition was over 40 years ago. It is a must-read for anyone interested in or concerned with securing positive change in individuals, organizations, or systems. Here is a deeply influential book that will shape our thinking and action around the world for years to come.”
—Christopher Chapman, professor and chair in Educational Policy and Practice, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
“This wake-up call from Michael Fullan is long overdue. His work on leadership practices that create meaningful and supportive experiences for children is well-documented, but this latest work draws a clear line in the sand. Schools and school leaders need to stop playing games with their rhetoric and make the changes real for the most vulnerable and wounded children and families. Wake up and pay attention: We must do radically better, and Fullan’s work provides us a clear path forward to make the rhetoric match the reality in our school communities.”
—Jeff Duncan-Andrade, professor and LTNS Department Chair, San Francisco State University
"The New Meaning of Educational Change, Sixth Edition will become an instant classic for turning system change on its head. Fullan shows how we have we have fallen short of system success for the last 6 decades and offers a new pathway for system transformation through mobilizing the bottom and middle, while intriguing the top. Top-down policies have repeatedly failed because they misunderstood the complexity of education change on the ground, and misrepresented the system needed to support it. Fullan’s proposed model calls on a new 'systemness' that changes structures and cultures that merit a place in every change effort."
—Milbrey McLaughlin, David Jacks Emerita Professor, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University
“In this powerful book, Michael Fullan takes us on a sweeping journey through 60 years of educational change. Written by the foremost expert in the field, The New Meaning of Educational Change offers an antidote to quick-fix solutions, and shows us what a truly systemic approach to remaking schools would look like. Filled with concrete examples, overarching principles, and specific practices, this book helps us see what it would entail to transform our industrial-era school systems into modern learning organizations suffused with passion and purpose.”
—Jal Mehta, professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
“Michael Fullan brings his characteristic wisdom, generosity, and optimism to a candid review of his 60 years of formidable thinking and action in seminal reforms in schooling systems around the world. His perplexity about the result—which he describes as a ‘swamp that overwhelms’—provides the question at the heart of the book: What's next for system reform? He concludes with an evolution in thinking about the idea of systemness, designed to enable the required revolution. I recommend it to any leader directing scaled reform in a school system who wishes to avoid disappointment.”
—Sandra Milligan, executive director of Melbourne Metrics, University of Melbourne, Australia
“The first edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change was a classic when I was a graduate student several decades ago. Now with the release of the sixth edition, this influential book remains a foundational text for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers engaged with educational change, especially in the postpandemic era.”
—James P. Spillane, Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
“In the sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change, Michael Fullan once again offers transformative insights for educators and leaders. His call to view young learners as copilots of their own learning is both inspiring and essential for the future of education. Fullan’s exploration of dynamic complexity challenges us all to embrace change as an opportunity for deeper, collective impact.”
—Devin Vodicka, CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative
"This book is a must-read for anyone invested in educational change and the future of humanity. With an equal measure of erudition, eloquence, and humor, Michael Fullan walks us through the evolution of educational change as a field of knowledge and practice and offers us the clarity we need to successfully prepare our children to survive, thrive, and better our troubled, unpredictable world."
—Vicky Colbert, founder and director, Fundación Escuela Nueva
