Spotlight on Transforming Schools and Districts to Support the Whole Child, Person, and Community

February 15, 2024

All educators aim to ensure every learner receives the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in school, career, and life. This Spotlight highlights resources to assist schools and districts in providing equitable and high-quality instruction for all students. The resources offer guidance for supporting principals, centering equity in data-based decision-making, and scaling systems change.

Be sure to visit our School and District Transformation focus area to learn about our research and services. Check out our recent School and District Transformation E-Bulletin for more resources.

Centering Equity in Data-Based Decision-Making: Considerations and Recommendations for Leadership Teams

Safe and supportive school environments that promote well-being and healthy social and emotional development are essential to effective teaching, learning, and support of the whole person. Gathering, analyzing, and using data to make decisions in schoolwide whole-person work is critical for the systems change and continuous improvement processes that create equitable, safe, and supportive conditions for learning and well-being.

This guide helps school, district, and state education leadership teams redesign and transform systems for equitable health and learning by centering equity in their data-using culture and data-based decision-making processes.

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Equitable, Sustainable Systems Change at Scale: Lessons Learned From State Collaboratives

This report from the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety (CISELSS) provides insights from more than 5 years of universal, targeted, and direct technical assistance for state and local agencies. It shares recommendations from the experiences of participants in three long-term peer collaboratives. The teams focused on different themes; however, they all worked together toward equitable and sustainable systems change at the nexus of social and emotional well-being, excellent outcomes for young people, and equity.

The report describes the state collaboratives and the framework for convening state education agency leaders. The report also highlights six themes that emerged from the CISELSS state collaboratives, including engaging the community, balancing reflection with action, considering power dynamics, and working collaboratively.