Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center
Statewide Systems of Support
Statewide Systems of Support (SSOS)
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation outlines a pivotal role for the state in helping struggling districts and schools meet the requirements of the law. NCLB requires states to "establish a statewide system of intensive and sustained support and improvement for local educational agencies and schools receiving funds under this part, in order to increase the opportunity for all students served by those agencies and schools to meet the state's academic content standards and student academic achievement standards" (Section 1117 (a)(1)).
Statewide Systems of Support Resources
Characteristics of Improved School Districts: Themes from Research
Characteristics of Improving School Districts: Themes from Research, a report written by the Research and Evaluation Office, will assist school districts in their efforts to improve student learning and to make Adequate Yearly Progress under the current No Child Left Behind Act. A review of more than 80 research reports and articles revealed thirteen themes found in districts that are making substantial progress on various student indicators. This report defines and explains the themes and presents ideas that district leaders may consider when developing district improvement plans. (Abstract from OSPI)
Handbook on Statewide Systems of Support
The purposes of this Handbook are to survey the research related to statewide systems of support, to present the experience and insights of educational leaders in how such support can best be conducted, and to derive actionable principles for improving schools. It is intended for use not only by the staff of the U.S. Department of Education-sponsored Regional Centers that serve state department staff, but also by the staff of school districts and schools.
Leading for Learning. States are taking on new roles as they provide support for low-performing schools and districts
A supplement to the September 13, 2006, issue of Education Week and focuses on the leadership of state education agencies charged with building local capacity to improve instruction. It highlights strategies by the state education agencies in Michigan, Connecticut, California, and South Carolina and profiles efforts in Kentucky, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania to assist schools and districts.
Leadership Capacities for a Changing Environment: State and District Responses to the NCLB Act of 2001
Drawing from five separate research studies, this book outlines the policies, structures, and supports that states and school districts in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut are creating and implementing to improve student achievement in low-performing districts and schools. The book also takes a critical look at the demands on educational leaders in a complex, high-expectations environment following the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Reaching Capacity: A Blueprint for the State Role in Improving Low Performing Schools and Districts
The purpose of this report is to clarify the state's role (Massachusetts) in helping schools and districts address their needs. This report begins from the premise that Massachusetts has an obligation that it is not meeting. Schools and districts are struggling and need tools, resources, and assistance to raise student achievement.
Strengthening the Statewide System of Support: A Manual for the Comprehensive Center and State Education Agency
Strengthening the Statewide System of Support is a technical assistance manual and a companion to the Handbook on Statewide Systems of Support. These two documents, with additional resources at the Center on Innovation and Improvement, enable a state education agency (SEA), with technical assistance from a Comprehensive Center, to self-assess its system of support and plan for its improvement.
State-Level High School Improvement Systems Checklist
This checklist from the National High School Center is designed to help states at various stages develop their system of support to reach struggling high schools. The checklist can be used to assess where your state is in terms of the elements of using existing support and guidance mechanisms and reconfiguring and/or creating new structures to leverage system change for high school improvement. The elements listed in the checklist may be helpful in establishing or refining your state's education planning and implementation process. (Abstract from the National High School Center)