In turnaround schools, traditional approaches to school improvement (and some say, even the recent seven billion dollar federal investment in school improvement) aren't enough -- but why? Schools that successfully achieve turnaround "do school" differently to break cycles of underperformance and maximize learning for all students, and…

Quality teachers are one of the most important factors in student achievement. Yet since the recession, the real value of teacher salaries (adjusted for inflation) has decreased in the majority of states. At the heart of the teacher salary issue are growing funding inequities among the states. Some states may need to invest more in education to…

Every year, school districts welcome -- and then lose -- thousands of promising new teachers. For too many, the job is overwhelming. How can we improve instruction and reduce teacher turnover -- especially with limited resources, in our highest-needs schools? In the "Growing Great Teachers" report, we use research-based "impact…

This publication outlines the fundamental principles and process of Strategic School Design. Through years of research and practice around school resource use, we have found that high-performing, high-growth schools are responding to the changing context in education by using people, time, technology, and money in ways that look significantly…

In their full essay for "Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning: Resources," the authors note that more rigorous instructional requirements combined with tighter budgets challenge school systems to think more deliberately about where and how they invest in teaching effectiveness. They write that forward-thinking school…

With the hopeful prospect of new money before them and the continued pressure to stretch every dollar, school districts face a choice: do more of the same, or seize this moment of change to re-envision schooling to better meet student needs. This means thinking strategically about the resources school systems have and ensuring new funds go toward…

The introduction of college- and career-ready standards (CCRS) profoundly raises the bar for teaching and learning in American schools--and for professional development. Some school systems are rising to the challenge and significantly improving instruction and seeing student learning growth. With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates…

In 2013 California adopted a new funding formula that includes a significant reinvestment in public education after years of budget cuts. The new law allocates funds differently, directing more resources to students with higher needs and providing more local control and greater transparency. This revolutionary change presents California districts…

There are very real barriers to using people, time, money, and technology well in today's public schools systems. To begin to break down these barriers, the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) has created a framework to prioritize seven urgent restructuring priorities. The authors have found that these areas represent the largest opportunities for…

Billions of education dollars are trapped each year. At this time of continued budget shortfalls when every dollar spent on education must yield maximum returns in student outcomes--states are frequently tying the hands of districts. While funding adequacy and equity must remain a priority for states, ensuring that limited resources are used as…

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) works with school and district leaders to help them more strategically use resources--people, time, and money--to improve student performance. They have found that many school districts begin creating small high schools without a clear sense of how much they will spend or how to ensure that small schools…

A case study of Boston (Massachusetts) public schools shows how specialization and fragmentation of teaching resources reduced the individual attention most students received and limited a school's flexibility to respond to student needs. The analysis develops three measures as possible indicators of the opportunity for freeing teacher resources.…

Describes five case studies of high-performing public schools that have organized professional resources in innovative ways. Outlines principles of successful resource allocation. Presents a framework and methodology for examining a school's current use of resources. (MAK)

As attention shifts to how districts allocate resources to schools, student weighted allocation has emerged as an alternative to traditional staff-based allocation policies. Student-weighted allocation uses student need, rather than staff placement, as the building block of school budgeting. This article examines how the shift to student-weighted…

To meet ambitious goals, districts and schools must redefine priorities, decide how to meet them, and allocate resources appropriately. This means restructuring salaries to attract and retain superior teachers, redirecting spending from compliance to supporting performance goals, investing strategically in professional development, and reducing…