For the better part of the past century, the field of education has witnessed repeated calls
and initiatives for change, reform and improvement of our schools. Yet today, the
problems of improving academic achievement and social adjustment among youth
continue unabated. An explanation for this ‘change without change’ phenomenon is
offered which differentiates innovative change from transformative change processes. A
review of the research evidence regarding resilience and positive youth development,
both academically and socially, is utilized to formulate a conceptual framework for
guiding educators in creating resilience-focused, transformative schools. Specific
attention is addressed to the application of such concepts as mindsets, resilience, socialemotional competencies, and supportive social environments (family and school) in
adopting a new, transformative paradigm for developing more effective schools and
more capable youth.peer-reviewe
