Source: Education Resource Strategies
The District at Work series from national nonprofit Education Resource Strategies (ERS) profiles eight school systems – including large traditional districts and charter networks, all serving high populations of low-income, black and Latinx students – that are gaining traction across a variety of measures like student performance, graduation rates, or support for teachers and school leaders. Each school system tackled a familiar challenge, like adding time for teacher collaboration or guiding principals amidst budget uncertainty. ERS finds one common ingredient: the central office better supported schools by setting a clear vision for success and following through with tough resource tradeoffs and redesigned processes, including roles, timelines, and mindsets. These are the gears that power effective implementation and student results that last. It’s not the next silver bullet – it’s evidence that strategy and implementation matter.