CAP on Improving All Schools
November 15, 2018
The Center for American Progress’ Samantha Batel recently released an analysis of how Denver Public Schools’ (DPS) approach to school support in the context of ESSA, “largely shifts the school support role” from states to districts. “Importantly, states will continue to play a role in supporting schools that they have identified for improvement under ESSA,” but “given districts’ local locus of control and prime positioning as change agents, they have greater capacity to create systems that support all schools.” However, this “broadening of district support” doesn’t “have to come at the expense of schools that are struggling to make gains”—districts can instead “create, implement, and sustain systems that help all schools—not just those at the bottom—to continuously improve.”