The School Day We Built
A student can receive every service we assign and still get a school day no one would have designed. Everyone who works with her can see part of that day, but only the district can change the conditions that produce it.
Writing
What the Pilot Proved
A successful pilot shows an initiative can work under the conditions it was given. Expansion depends on knowing what made it work and what the district can afford to sustain.
The Other Strategic Plan
The plan the board approved says what a district intends. The agendas its leaders meet on every week are some of the best evidence of what it attends to. When the two do not match, someone should be able to say where the plan's work is happening.
How Much Evidence Is Enough?
Research can support a decision. It cannot tell a district how much evidence is enough, and that judgment belongs in the recommendation.
You Still Have to Decide
Districts adopt on one swing of the pendulum and evaluate on the next. Without a written claim, there is nothing of their own to consult.