How-to Guides for Implementing Strategic School Redesign
Updated August 2024. Original guides launched July 2021.
Drawing on decades of research, takeaways from our hands-on district work, and insights from other organizations and experts in the field, we’ve developed concrete guidance for district leaders looking to invest in high-impact priority areas.
These updated strategy guides explore relevant research, highlight opportunities for sustainable investments, make priority recommendations, and provide concrete examples from districts already doing this work. Developed with a “Do Now, Build Toward” mindset, these guides will support district leaders in addressing urgent student needs now by choosing doable starting points and designing changes with a sustainable long-term vision in mind.
High School Redesign Guides
High-Dosage Tutoring
for High School
Learn how to implement high-dosage tutoring in your high schools to quickly move the needle on student experiences and outcomes.
Expanding Early
Postsecondary Opportunities
Explore how to create unique college and career pathway opportunities that respond to unique student and community needs.
Building Strong Relationships Through Advisory
Discover how to build strong relationships with students who need additional attention by implementing advisory and lowering teacher loads.
Professional Learning & Collaboration for Teachers
See how you can build your educators’ capacity in your high schools with professional learning and collaboration opportunities.
Targeted Academic Supports
Find out how to provide additional instructional time and targeted attention for students who require more intensive support.
Early Warning Systems
Learn how to use early warning systems in your districts to address student needs as quickly and effectively as possible.
Credit Recovery
Discover the power of rethinking your credit recovery model to account for increased student needs and get students back on track.
Looking for more high school content?
Check out our Redesigning the High School Experience page, featuring a new vision paper on the future of high school, an interactive analysis of common challenges high schools face, and toolkits on blended learning models and transforming the ninth grade.
Elementary School Redesign Guides
High-Dosage Tutoring in Elementary Schools – NEW UPDATE!
Many districts are positioning tutoring as a key investment to combat learning loss. And for good reason: Effective tutoring programs can have a high ROI and quickly drive positive student outcomes. See how to implement high-dosage tutoring in your district.
Small Group Instruction — UPDATE COMING SOON!
Pre-pandemic, schools used small-group instruction to provide Tier 2 and 3 supports, but today, it’s an important component in supporting all students to access grade-level Tier 1 instruction. Explore this guide to learn strategies for investing in both traditional intervention and small-group instruction.
Building Strong Relationships & Supports — UPDATE COMING SOON!
Building strong relationships and supports is more important now than ever, as many students are returning to school with pandemic-related trauma. Stimulus funds give district and school leaders the opportunity to respond to these intensified needs, and our guide offers in-depth guidance on implementing strategies that build strong relationships.
Professional Learning & Collaboration — UPDATE COMING SOON!
Professional learning and collaboration for educators is foundational to successfully and sustainably implementing most other improvement strategies. Read this guide to learn how to build your elementary educators’ capacity and foster more effective professional learning opportunities.
Get Direct Support
As you use these guides to weigh the possible tradeoffs associated with different approaches, facilitate decision-making around organizing resources, and plan for evolving and scaling your approaches over time, we encourage you to adapt these guides to meet your district’s or school’s unique context.
Or, reach out below. We’d love to learn how we can help you put these strategies into action in your district.