Models of Practice: Looking in the "Real World"
A major task of the 2006 forum Understanding Educational Equity and Excellence at Scale was to consider how each strategy addressed issues of scale. Getting to scale means ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education; this unprecedented goal requires a larger educational system than most U.S. cities currently possess.
The Institute has been developing a framework for smart education systems that calls for a coordinated, cooperative collection of alliances and collaborations across an urban community. This smart education system would deliver services and supports in both formal and informal settings to ensure that all young people in the community receive a high-quality education - academic achievement, learning, and development across a spectrum of competencies (health, social, cultural competence, character development, motivation, self-discipline, economic).
No urban community in the nation currently has a completely developed smart education system. However, there are promising smaller-scale efforts found in particular programs, schools, and initiatives. We call these models of good practice local educational support networks. This section of the Equity Forum Web site highlights places across the country where promising practice can be found.
Coming soon: More materials on models of practice
