Learn about our current projects in district and systems change.

Leadership in Smart Systems
Voices in Urban Education 25
A new approach to leadership is needed to ensure that school systems prepare all their community’s young people to succeed. This issue of Voices in Urban Education illustrates how this new approach to leadership is taking shape in school systems across the country. (Fall 2009)

Rhode Island Urban Education Task Force: Final Recommendations
This report makes recommendations in seven areas: pre-kindergarten education, early literacy, multiple pathways for student success, expanded learning time, educator quality development, innovation for successful schools, and educator collaboration. (October 2009)

The Evolving Federal Role: Voices in Urban Education 24
Federal involvement in education policy and the federal education budget are at record levels, but what the federal role should be and how federal funds should be used is a topic of heated debate. (Summer 2009)

Building a Districtwide Movement for Small Schools Reform: Oakland Community Organizations, CA
A six-year study documents the success of Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) in building a districtwide movement that ultimately created 48 new small schools that are raising student achievement. (April 2009)

Redesigning the “Central Office”: Voices in Urban Education 22
The current structure of most school districts is inadequate to support the vital role of ensuring results and equity for all students. District central offices must be redesigned around key functions and practices. (Winter 2009)

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Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education
A study that looks at four districts – Chattanooga, Montgomery County (MD), Naperville (IN), and Philadelphia – that have developed leading indicators. (2008)

Human Capital: Voices in Urban Education 20
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at various ways in which school systems and their partners can build a system that attracts and prepares high-quality educators and supports them effectively. (Summer 2008)

Learning Environments: Voices in Urban Education 19
This issue of Voices in Urban Education examines the ways schools and their partners create environments that make student learning possible — or impede it. (Spring 2008)

Meta-review of Recent Reports on the Providence Public School District
This report presents the results of a meta-review of eleven recent reports, evaluations, and audits of the Providence Public Schools. (2008)

Putting Kids on the Pathway to College: How Is Your School Doing? A College Pathways Rubric
This rubric enables high schools — and their districts, partners, and community — to assess the effectiveness of their current programs and practices at helping students graduate on time and ready for college-level work. (2008)

A Smart System in London: Voices in Urban Education 21
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks in depth at one local British authority that has been remarkably successful across a range of health, social, educational, and economic indicators: the East London borough of Tower Hamlets. (Fall 2008)

Using Data for Decisions: Voices in Urban Education 18
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at districts and communities that have shown success in using data effectively. (Winter 2008)

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Beating the Odds: How Thirteen NYC Schools Bring Low-Performing Ninth-Graders to Timely Graduation and College Enrollment
A report on a qualitative study of thirteen NYC high schools that are successfully preparing low-performing ninth-graders for timely high school graduation and enrollment in college. (December 2007)

Building a System of Excellent High Schools
This tool provides a framework to map out the process of transforming their high schools to meet the needs of all students.

City Schools: How Districts and Communities Can Create Smart Education Systems
This book describes ways that urban districts around the country are becoming “smarter” and outlines the Annenberg Institute’s vision of a “smart education system,” linking a highly functioning school district with a broad and accessible web of supports for students and families. (2007)

The District Transition Review: Planning for Successful Change
This guide describes a brief, focused data-collection protocol that can help districts plan for successful changes in leadership or programming. (2007)

Extending Learning: Voices in Urban Education 16
This issue of Voices in Urban Education suggests some possibilities of what a high-functioning system would look like that provided equitable opportunities and that integrated in-school and extended learning? (Summer 2007)

School Districts and Educational Improvement Bibliography
A comprehensive review of research on education improvement at the district level from 1988 to May 2007.

Skills for Smart Systems: Voices in Urban Education 17
Schools and school systems, community organizations, and other agencies need to have the ability to function effectively to ensure that all students learn at high levels. How have effective partnerships developed such abilities?(Fall 2007)

Strategies to Improve Data Collection on New York’s Homeless Students
This report was written to assist New York State in improving the accuracy and efficiency of its data collection on homeless students as a first step to ensuring that these students do not encounter barriers to school attendance and educational success. (2007)

Understanding Educational Equity and Excellence at Scale
The goals of this site are to examine the assumptions behind different — and sometimes competing — strategies to achieve equity and excellence at scale; and to promote collaborative work across strategies. (2007)

Urban Schools, Public Will
This book by the Annenberg Institute’s Norm Fruchter draws on a rich array of research and personal experience to examine why, fifty years beyond Brown v. Board, urban districts have failed poor students of color and what must be done to transform our city schools. (2007)

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Collective Bargaining in Public Education: A New Dialogue
This Web site grew out of the conference Collective Bargaining in Public Education: A New Dialogue, which offered a first step toward examining the role of state policy-makers, teacher unions, and local school districts in creating the conditions for collective bargaining. (2006)

Equity after Katrina: Voices in Urban Education 10
In this issue of Voices in Urban Education, four authors express sadness and anger at the inequities highlighted by Katrina and point to what needs to be done for a better future. (Winter 2006)

A Framework for Success for All Students: Conceptual Framework for Schools for a New Society
This framework outlines the core concepts of the Schools for a New Society initiative, including portfolios of schools, youth and community engagement, and the role of partners. (2006)

Getting to Equity: Voices in Urban Education 11
This issue of Voices in Urban Education offers five perspectives that challenge our way of thinking about equity and excellence. (Spring 2006)

Strong Foundation, Evolving Challenges: A Case Study to Support Leadership Transition in the Boston Public Schools
This study from AISR and the Aspen Institute examines Boston's accomplishments and challenges and provides lessons for other large urban school districts. (2006)

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Community Partners: Voices in Urban Education 7
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at the latest thinking about community partnerships, with compelling examples of how partners can enhance learning opportunities for young people. (Spring 2005)

Evidence-Based Practice: Voices in Urban Education 6
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at the latest thinking about evidence-based practice from four perspectives that address the practical needs of educators. (Winter 2005)

From Data to Decisions: Lessons from School Districts Using Data Warehousing
This report offers district leaders practical information about data warehousing from eight districts that have successfully used this approach. (2005)

High School Redesign: Voices in Urban Education 8
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at the latest thinking on what it will take to create systems of excellent high schools that work for all students. (Summer 2005)

Sustaining Reform: Voices in Urban Education 9
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at what it takes to sustain reform efforts over time in the face of multiple pressures and leadership changes. (Fall 2005)

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Beyond Brown v. Board: Voices in Urban Education 4
This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at equity in public education today through the lens of the Brown decision and envisions future directions. (Summer 2004)

Smart Districts: Voices in Urban Education 5
This VUE features leading-edge perspectives on transforming the century-old school district model into a "smart district" that is part of the solution, not part of the problem. (Fall 2004)

Teaching and Learning Review
This tool consists of a broadly defined process and a set of research, observation, and interview tools that enable community stakeholders to closely examine teaching and learning in their schools. The Review is customized to reflect the context and needs of the community in which it is being conducted.

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