Summit for Innovative Education explores how high reliability and innovation can help U.S. schools close the global achievement gap

Denver—For the U.S. to compete successfully in a global economy, must our schools and students do as well or better than those in the highest performing school systems in the world? If so, how do they get there? On February 4‒5, McREL’s National Summit for Innovative Education aims to answer these questions by bringing together innovative educators, policymakers, and business leaders to explore how the principles and practices of high reliability organizations—those for which failure has disastrous consequences—can be applied in schools and districts to help accelerate improvement.  

“There are two achievement gaps we must close in U.S. education: one between high- and low-performing schools within the U.S., and one between high-performing U.S. schools and the world’s best performing schools,” said Dr. Tim Waters, president and chief executive officer of McREL. “We need to close both gaps without excluding large numbers of students, and without losing our ability to prepare students to be innovative, creative, and collaborative.”

The two-day event features internationally known experts in the areas of high reliability and education with varying perspectives. Speakers include:

• Dr. Eric Hanushek, education economist and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University whose research on international student performance data was featured in Waiting for Superman  
• Dr. Yong Zhao, presidential chair and associate dean for global and online education at the University of Oregon College of Education and author of World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students and Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization
• Dr. Tom Bellamy, professor of education at the University of Washington-Bothell and founding director of the Goodlad Institute for Educational Renewal
• Dr. Carol Haraden, vice president of  the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a leader in developing innovative approaches to improving patient care and safety
• Dr. Gerrita Postlewait, consultant for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ national Innovation Lab Network, past president of the South Carolina Board of Education, and 2006 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year
• Jim Kohlmoos, chief executive officer of the National Association of State Boards of Education

Keynote sessions by these and other notable speakers, interactive panels, and breakout sessions will highlight the remarkably consistent pathways that top-performing systems follow to reach excellence. The first day will focus on the achievement gap between U.S. and international students—how much impact such a gap has on the economy and how much other factors, such as creativity and innovation, play a role. The second day will explore how high-reliability principles and practices can lead to greater innovation.

 “The Summit is designed for educators, board members, policy makers, business leaders, researchers, and consultants who are serious about the transformation of U.S. education,” said Waters.  

For more details on the summit, visit www.mcrel.org/sie.