Description:

In this issue, we examine the touchstones of effective district systems, all of which reflect the translation of high-reliability organizing principles in education systems: setting clear, “no excuses” goals; attending to the core business of schooling; and developing a healthy preoccupation with failure, prevention, and intervention. 

Key Ideas:

In “A competition for the ages,” Vicki Urquhart writes of the need for American schools to set goals for teaching and learning.  

“Using data creates a fail-safe system,” by Sheila Arens with Vicki Urquhart, explains the importance of having a district “dashboard” that makes relevant data accessible.

Heather Hein’s “High reliability in action: How one district reduced variability from the top down” profiles one of Colorado’s largest districts telling of their ongoing effort to reduce variability in instruction.  

In “How to give apples: Rethinking teacher evaluations,” Jennifer Tuzzeo writes about the critical role personnel evaluations play in effective districts.

APA Citation:

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. (2012, Spring.) Changing Schools, 65. Denver, CO: Author.

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