Impact Case Studies

Transitioning to a new Superintendent can be a time of upheaval for a district. Berkeley School District 87 was no different. The new Superintendent wanted to clarify and refine the direction for the district. He wanted to ensure a process that identified a clear path and common focus for the district. Having worked with CEC in the past, he was familiar with the collaborative nature of their work and wanted to ensure maximum stakeholder voice in the district strategic planning development. Berkeley School District 87 selected CEC to help them build their new strategic plan to identify their “compass” for the next five years and realign their system to a true continuous improvement process.

In 2022, Hedges Elementary School sought to gain support in the design and implementation of an effective school improvement process. Additionally, Hedges wanted to provide their leadership team with professional coaching. Hedges partnered with Catalyst for Educational Change (CEC) to achieve these goals.

Over the past decade, the Southwest Teacher Union Reform Network (SW Turn) has worked to bring together teacher union and school district leaders to study innovative reforms that can lead to increased achievement for all students. SW TURN brings together union leaders, administrators, outside experts, and other key stakeholders. Over the past several years, districts participating in SW TURN have represented some of the largest in the region, including Denver, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Austin, Houston, Omaha and Tulsa. These districts alone serve more than 700,000 students in the region. The organization’s main goal is to support district and teacher union leaders in bringing about positive change that supports teachers and improves student learning and growth SAISD-SW-TURN-Report

In 2011, after years of failing to meet state standards, and on the heels of a difficult school merger, Peoria High School decided to seek a federal School Improvement Grant. To receive the multi-million dollar grant, the school had to commit to a massive transformation of its administration and academic practices, including replacing the principal and other key school leaders. After an extensive search, Peoria High School chose CEC to serve as the lead partner for this transformation effort.

In 2014, Rockford Public Schools (RPS), a large urban district in northern Illinois, approached CEC looking for help with a few specific initiatives. The district was attempting to implement a Peer Assistance Review program, implement a SMART Goals process, and engage in a strategic planning process. During 2014-2015, CEC helped RPS achieve its goals by supporting the district to build true foundations for this work. With CEC leading its comprehensive strategic planning effort, RPS was able to develop a concise and coherent Mission, Vision, Motto, Set of Values, Long Range Goals, and Strategic Action Strategies. In addition, the district established a comprehensive communication and collaboration infrastructure, including a new District Leadership Team structure, facilitated by CEC.

CEC worked with Marquardt School District, a northwest suburban elementary district in DuPage County about 25 miles west of Chicago, for a period of 13 years, to build capacity each year for the district to solve its own problems. In the early years, CEC helped the district, school board, and teachers union work together using Interest-Based Bargaining and establishing collaborative structures such as District and School Partnership Councils. Over time, the focus shifted toward classroom practice, with detailed school assessments, support for curriculum development, and training to establish Professional Learning Communities.

Teachers and school administrators in Thornton High School District 205, a low-income district in Chicago’s south suburbs, were desperate to provide effective education to students. However, a toxic culture of misunderstanding and mistrust had taken hold among the school board, district administration, and the teachers’ union. Teachers were without a contract, the district had four superintendents in 18 months, and the school board couldn’t pass a motion on any single substantive issue. CEC knew that creating a collaborative culture was an essential first step to improving student achievement.

Over the past 20 years, the Santa Clara Unified School District experienced a series of challenges in maintaining positive communications and relationships between its school board, district leaders, union leaders, and classroom teachers. CEC was brought in as a third party to offer a structured approach to the issue that could involve and encourage leaders from all constituencies to rebuild and reframe existing relationships.