The review provides an overview of key events in the system's history, a discussion of governance, translations of common terminology, and "maps" that can help newcomers, such as an incoming superintendent, traverse the often intricate labyrinths of district operations. It can also help sitting district leaders and key partners understand the strengths and weaknesses of particular policies and what changes need to be made as they move forward.

A District Transition Review can:

• Summarize important aspects of reform design, implementation and outcomes
  
  
• Present the perceptions of multiple stakeholders about district progress and challenges
  
  
• Identify strategies for next steps for the board, the community, the new administration and other stakeholders to consider
  
  
• Focus school boards on their Key Work (a framework developed by the National School Boards Association).

What is the scope of a review?

The scope of a transition review is delineated by two elements:

• a clearly defined timeframe to be examined, and
• a specific focus for the research.

The timeframe might look back over the tenure of an outgoing superintendent or begin with the implementation of a major reform initiative. In either case it should continue through to the most recent developments in the history of the system.

The focus of the research must be clearly defined from the outset and informed by an initial review of district documents describing key reform efforts. A transition review might focus on efforts to build instructional capacity or might emphasize system wide efforts around accountability or curriculum. While the document review and interviews with informants will undoubtedly raise other issues, the review focus must continue to drive the research and the analysis of the data.

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