Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
  
Seven Strategies: How Districts Can Support Principals Effectively in School Improvement
• Strategy 1. Establish a clear focus and a strategic framework of core beliefs, effective practices and goals for improving student achievement
• Strategy 2. Organize and engage the school board and district office in support of each school
• Strategy 3. Provide instructional coherence and support
• Strategy 4: Invest heavily in instruction-related professional learning for principals, teacher-leaders and district staff
• Strategy 5: Provide high-quality data that link student achievement to school and classroom practices, and assist schools to use data effectively
• Strategy 6: Optimize the use of resources to improve student learning
• Strategy 7: Use open, credible processes to involve key school and community leaders in shaping a vision for improving schools
• Actions States, Districts and Schools Should Take to Better Serve Students
• Endnotes

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 The Three Essentials: Improving Schools Requires District Vision, District and State Support, and Principal Leadership

The following matrix provides states, districts and schools with a set of actions necessary to achieve continuing and sustainable school improvement. As this report explains, districts must take strategic steps to improve their support of school improvement — but they cannot act alone. States must create structures and policies that allow districts to take ownership of school improvement, rather than bypassing the district to try to improve schools without a district framework of support. Because the ultimate objective is to improve student learning in schools, the optimal actions for schools, districts and states must be back-mapped from that objective. None of these levels can succeed on its own in creating a system that better serves students. The three columns of the matrix establish a system of support for school improvement, from the state level to the classroom — and central to this system is the school district office.

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