School System Improvement

With a shared vision and plan for student success, administrators, teachers, and staff members can collaborate to make transformative change. Our approach to school improvement focuses on aligning your ongoing efforts to build on the strengths of your students, educators, and community. After taking time to learn about your needs and goals, we help you collect and analyze data, coach leaders and teachers, and implement evidence-based practices that support better student outcomes. We ground our work in relationships, your community and culture, and research so the improvements are lasting and sustainable.

School System Improvement Specialties

Continuous improvement
Leadership coaching and professional development
Teacher coaching and professional development
Communities of practice

Educator Workforce Development

Recruit, prepare, and retain highly effective educators using research and evaluation, technical assistance, and learning design.

EDUCATOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Build your capacity to implement a
powerful literacy program.

Featured Work

Applied Research

Community Partnerships for Reengagement Initiative

Research Partnerships

Data-Driven Strategies for Teacher Shortages

Publications

Limited Certificated Teachers in Washington: Barriers to Becoming Fully Certificated and Needed Supports
How can states like Washington overcome teacher shortages? We looked at the data on what teachers need to become fully certificated.
A Snapshot of Educator Mobility in Montana: Understanding Issues of Educator Shortages and Turnover
Montana is one of many states facing teacher shortages. The Montana Rural Recruitment and Retention Task Force partnered with us to study data that might inform solutions.
Educator Retention and Turnover Under the Midnight Sun
The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest at Education Northwest studied data to help Alaska improve educator turnover and retention rates.
Idaho's Educator Landscape: How Is the State’s Teacher Workforce Responding to Its Students’ Needs?
School districts in Idaho and other states are struggling with a growing student population and a declining teacher workforce. What can we learn from the data?

Our Experts

Catherine Barbour

Senior Director, Learning & Systems Improvement
Johnette Burdette

Director, Learning & Systems Improvement
Mikkaka Overstreet

Principal Consultant
Jennifer Esswein

Director, Research & Evaluation
Jacob Williams

Managing Researcher
Mandy Smoker Broaddus

Leader
Kelli Scardina

Principal Consultant

Building a clear path toward better education for all, together

PARTNER WITH US

Insights & Resources

Lessons for the Education System from Youth Reengagement Programs
In the United States today, more than four million young adults have disengaged from the K–12 education system without graduating or entering the workforce.
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Superintendents of Color in Oregon
Explore a 2022 report on the lived experiences of superintendents of color in Oregon.
Independent Evaluation Validates Success of PLC at Work Project in Arkansas
An independent evaluation of Arkansas’ PLC at Work project determined that the program has positively impacted student achievement on the ACT Aspire assessment.
Addressing the Teacher Shortage in Washington
To address the critical teacher shortage problem in Washington, state policymakers and district administrators are looking at “grow-your-own” teacher strategies, which seek to support current paraeducators interested in pursuing full certification.
Parent Involvement in Education
This classic 1989 brief from researchers Kathleen Cotton and Karen Reed Wikelund remains widely cited and circulated more than 20 years after original publication.