Drivers of Success: One District's Process for Closing Achievement Gaps in a Post-No Child Left behind Context

Abstract

In this original qualitative study, we examined the processes employed by a school district that had made progress in closing achievement gaps in a post-No Child Left Behind context. The district served more than 26,000 students in an economically and ethnically diverse community. Secondary analysis of the findings uncovered a primary driver-effective, sustained districtlevel leadership-which drove two secondary drivers: district-developed and deployed systems and a culture of shared accountability. Results of this study suggest that these three drivers caused reported changes at the campus and classroom levels, which in turn contributed to the progress that the district made in closing achievement gaps.

Leading Learning: First-Year Principals’ Reflections on Instructional Leadership

“…Such initiatives may provide the kind of professional support and sustained leadership capacity needed for first-year school leaders to enact learning-centered instructional leadership that positively affects teaching and learning to enhance student academic achievement. While opportunities to gain knowledge, skills, and direct experience in instructional leadership and organizational management must be addressed in preparation programs (Darling-Hammond, Meyerson, LaPointe, & Orr, 2010;Southern Regional Education Board, 2007), specific, targeted, district-level support also should be offered to new principals (O'Doherty & Ovando, 2010;Scheurich & Skrla, 2003).…”

A Middle School’s Response-to-Intervention Journey

“…If the goal or vision for today’s schools is to improve student performance to (a) make a difference in students’ education experiences and (b) thus help states, districts, and schools meet the requirements of NCLB and the IDEIA, then individual school efforts need to be acknowledged and studied by researchers and practitioners who can examine and explain processes that successfully lead to closing the achievement gap (O’Doherty & Ovando, 2009, p. 6). This article is focused on exploring a school’s experience with the hope of contributing to the above two goals.…”