In Schools, On Schools
SPI's blog is named to emphasize that our best ideas come from observations in our own schools as well as at high-performing schools across the United States. We are proximate to the work going on in high-poverty schools that get results for students, and we are working to share these bright spots with others. Through generous sharing of best practices, our mission is to increase access to high-quality schools for all students, regardless of zip code.
The good news is this may very well be the much sought after silver bullet we’ve long searched for in educational improvement circles. The bad news is that this elusive magic elixir is very hard to come by. Simply put, know-how is the detailed practical knowledge necessary to get good ideas to actually work in classrooms, schools, and districts.
Read MoreAcross sectors, the “think small, start small” message is antithetical to the typical ethos. In sports, it’s “go big or go home.” For tech startups, funding often hinges on a founder’s ability to show her plan for quickly scaling the business. In education, we often roll out rapid, large-scale reforms such as a new curriculum or technology platform in response to some perceived problem.
Read MoreThis year at United Schools Network (USN), we’re learning the science of improvement and sharing our journey in the hopes that it will make your improvement work a little easier. We’ve just kicked off this work, but we’ve already learned quite a bit about starting an improvement project. Check out the seven lessons we’ve learned so far.
Read MoreLike medicine, education can be complicated and messy work. It can be hard. It can feel defeating at times. But just as we think we don’t have another ounce to give in our school or classroom, there’s a breakthrough, a victory, a light at the end of the tunnel. And then, we are energized for another mile of this journey.
Read MoreOne of the smartest moves we made when we launched Columbus Collegiate Academy (CCA) in 2008 was to write internal (“how-to”) training manuals in five key areas. Full disclosure- we picked areas where it seemed intuitively prudent to write down and train people in our best practices. It turns out that the five areas we picked were well-aligned to school improvement research.
Read MoreThe good news is that there are just five ingredients necessary for school improvement. And, even better, the five ingredients are not rocket science. The bad news is that these ingredients aren’t easy to put in place, and are even harder to sustain. This is especially true in high-poverty schools.
Read MoreA written plan and shared language are key components of the school culture systems at the four schools that make up the United Schools Network (USN). These five tools are used by our school leaders to train teachers on our systems, and live on as foundational resources through leadership transitions.
Read MoreSetting your vision for school culture is hard work. But, the investment in culture vision-setting is well worth the effort. A strong vision will bring direction, purpose, and commitment to everyone associated with the school community.
Read MoreSchool culture work is hard. If built and maintained purposefully, a solid culture is learning’s best friend. If not, even the very best teachers will struggle to provide a productive learning environment.
Read MoreImprovement guru W. Edward Demings once said, “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” My experience in schools has shown me over and over again that Demings was right on point.
Read MoreOne of the enduring questions in school improvement work is why some schools fail regardless of the resources and attention directed toward them. Blame is often placed on the individuals that work in those schools. But is that fair?
Read MoreLike most people working in high-poverty schools, I had never seen a high-performing school serving similar students in action. Think about that for a moment. In the vast majority of struggling schools, it is unlikely the people that work there have ever experienced organizational-level success.
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