Highline Public Schools Artifacts

Click the links below to access tangible materials—such as templates and tools—that leaders in Highline Public Schools created to guide their work.

These artifacts are organized around the three parts of Highline's theory of action:

1. Transform the central office culture by better aligning activities to districtwide goals.
2. Give principals coordinated support for implementing the strategies needed to meet districtwide goals.
3. Hire a high-quality and diverse cohort of teachers to support students.

*Note: Not all theory of action components have accompanying artifacts. 

Transform the central office culture by better aligning activities to districtwide goals.

Give principals coordinated support for implementing the strategies needed to meet districtwide goals.

#1: 2019-20 Budget Timeline

What is this? Principal-facing list of milestones in the annual school planning process.

How can you use it? Differences from your own planning timeline could suggest alternatives that let principals make decisions earlier.

#2: Sample Annual Action Plan

What is this? Example of one Highline school’s plans, showing school goals aligned to the strategic plan, the actions school staff will take to meet them, and the metrics they will use to monitor progress toward their goals.

How can you use it? Use as an example for the types of details that might make school plans in your district more relevant and actionable in the day-to-day work of teachers and principals.

Hire a high-quality and diverse cohort of teachers to support students.

#3: Hiring Timeline

What is this? Summary of key points in the teacher hiring cycle, reflecting the work on early hiring by Highline’s talent department.

How can you use it? Differences from your own hiring timeline could suggest alternatives that let principals hire earlier, when the talent pool is deepest.

#4: Hiring Equity Study

What is this? Short case study written by Highline’s talent department, detailing their successful effort to recruit a more diverse group of new teachers

How can you use it? Examine methods Highline used to recruit a more diverse cohort of teachers; discover some practices that could help you do the same in your district.

Results Section

#5: Link to Highline Annual Report

What is this? Link to Highline’s own website, showing the metrics by which they measure their progress against their strategic plan’s goals.

How can you use it? Gather ideas for ways to measure your district’s progress toward your strategic priorities.

Explore all case studies in the District at Work series

About This Series

The Districts at Work series of case studies shares specific examples of districts around the country that struggle with the same challenges as many urban systems—but are taking new approaches to school support and seeing exciting results.

Explore the Series