The last few years have produced a groundswell of interest in improving our school accountability systems. Some suggest it's necessary to fine-tune current practices, while others advocate sweeping reforms that pave the way for entirely different approaches. A range of perspectives fall between these ends of the continuum, but support for the…

This research study examined creating and implementing a district-level strategic plan called the PROMISE to provide and tell its story. In June of 2014, the Palmdale School District Board Members directed the superintendent to create a new strategic plan to set a new direction and purpose for the school district. PROMISE was selected for this…

There were two purposes for this transformative mixed method study with an advocacy lens: to examine (1) the implementation of community school programming in a racially and ethnically diverse, high-poverty urban school and (2) the impact of implementation on student achievement. In-depth interviews, along with achievement data from two cohorts of…

The statement "The only thing that is constant is change" is an apt description of state accountability systems over the past few years. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), many states have significantly refined their existing school accountability systems or completely redesigned new systems in recent years. The…

Accountability mechanisms and processes have evolved with changes in statute. State Education Agency (SEA) accountability systems may exhibit characteristics of compliance- and/or improvement-focused systems in light of requirements under the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" (ESEA) and its reauthorizations under the…

This study examined a sample of plans that states submitted to the U.S. Education Department in 2015, pursuant to requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I, Part A. Plans were aimed at redressing inequities in access to qualified teachers as this problem has emerged in states and districts across the country. A…

This brief summarizes key points from the report "Enabling Conditions and Capacities for Continuous Improvement: A Framework for Measuring and Supporting Progress Towards the Goals of the Statewide System of Support" and contextualizes the findings within the current challenge of supporting teaching and learning during a pandemic. The…

Research reliably demonstrates that teachers are the most important in-school factor affecting students' learning and lives. Yet on myriad measures of teacher quality, students from low-income families and students of color are less likely to have equitable access to excellent teachers. States set forth their plans to address any existing…

In 2017 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) launched the Systems of Great Schools (SGS) initiative. With a combination of incentives and capacity building, SGS attempts to transform how school districts approach school improvement. It calls on districts to manage school performance in new ways, expand access to school choice options, and take a…

Outcomes for students with disabilities are historically concerning. As states have leveraged the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) to refine accountability and support systems, schools across the country have been identified as needing "Targeted School Improvement" (TSI) or "Comprehensive School Improvement" (CSI).…

The purpose of this guide is to assist Local Education Agencies (referred to as "districts") and schools with creating an effective and efficient school health team--representing all ten components of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, that focuses on the improvement and sustainment of a healthy school culture.…

Minnesota needs drastically different and better approaches to learning in order to meet the needs of all students, and the challenges of the 21st century. That will require a move to more student-centered learning--that is, learning that is built on a foundation of strong relationships, responsive to basic needs, driven by students, respectful of…