Establishment of a new school and an innovative school: Lessons from two Israeli case studies

Purpose - The paper aims to explore the stages involved in the school establishment phase and detect differences between new and innovative schools startup. Design/methodology/approach - The exploratory study was conducted on the creation phase of two Israeli elementary schools: one new and one innovative. The data were collected through interviews with central figures in each school, school visits, and documentations analysis. Findings - Four stages were found in the establishment phase: building construction and resource achievement, goal prioritization, staff development, and vision formulation, but these stages were found to be in reverse order in the new and innovative schools. Research limitations/implications - Although the study is limited by the specific context from which data were drawn, it offers a useful conceptual framework for the establishment process of new and innovative schools. Practical implications - Implications for practice and policy include useful suggestions for the stages and order necessary in the startup of each kind of school, identification of weak spots in the process and apposite remediation, and directions for policy and decision makers. Originality/value - The study provides a conceptual framework which points to the differences in the startup phase in new and innovative schools, and suggests their different functions for the educational system.