Impact Stories

 

How do we know we’re making an impact? The CCNetwork’s Impact Stories illustrate the results of our work by celebrating ingenuity and collaboration and highlighting moments that sparked change in education. Written by National Comprehensive Center and Regional Comprehensive Center staff, these stories detail key strategies, important lessons, and promising solutions emerging from the CCNetwork's work with SEAs and LEAs across the country. We also share success stories of CCSSO members here as well to elevate additional examples of ways states and jurisdictions are making an impact in education. Filter by topic, Center, or state/jurisdiction to gain new ideas and to cheer for the great work happening in your area.

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Impact Stories
The National Comprehensive Center brought together state education agency teams to function as Communities of Practice to focus on critical educational issues related to equity, out-of-school time programming, and use of American Rescue Plan funds.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14
Minnesota Reaps Statewide School Improvement with Unifying Framework
Recognizing the need for one unifying school improvement framework, the Minnesota Department of Education partnered with the Region 10 Comprehensive Center and developed a clear and coordinated approach for the state and district levels to use. The result was better coordination across the Minnesota Department of Education to support school improvement, the development of a multi-tiered support system framework tailored specifically for the state, and implementation support at both the state and district levels.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, School Improvement, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Student & Staff Well-Being, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
  • State(s): Minnesota
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 10 Comprehensive Center
North Carolina Engineers STEM Opportunities for Its Youngest Learners
Educators in 16 North Carolina school districts are implementing high-quality STEM education programs to K–5 students thanks to a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the Region 6 Comprehensive Center. The project is focused on creating capacity at both the state and district levels to ensure their initial success can be scaled and sustained.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Education Workforce, Professional Development, Teaching & Learning, Instructional Practice, Mathematics/STEM/Computer Science
Grant Offers Flexibility for Maine Districts, Sparking Innovation
Districts in Maine had the opportunity to creatively meet their ongoing educational challenges through the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures grant but needed help to do it strategically. With the support of the Region 1 Comprehensive Center, the Maine Department of Education has established the necessary infrastructure to implement the grant, developed resources to support districts in successfully applying for grant funds, and designed and facilitated professional development support for innovation coaches charged with supporting district implementation.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Education Workforce, Professional Development
  • State(s): Maine
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 1 Comprehensive Center
Communication and Data Use Transform School Culture in Palau
Districts and schools in Palau are seeing positive changes in teaching and learning from implementing the "Circles of Success" model, created in partnership with the Palau Ministry of Education and the Region 18 Comprehensive Center. The model focuses on student-centered instruction, data-driven teaching and decisionmaking, and improving organizational structures and practices.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, Data & Continuous Improvement, SEA Operations & Performance Management
  • State(s): Palau
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 18 Comprehensive Center
New Mexico Districts Get the Biggest Bang for Their ARP Bucks
The unprecedented infusion of federal relief and recovery funds were provided to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system. The funds presented an opportunity and an urgent need for New Mexico to design and implement new measures to help school districts strategically plan, implement, track, and evaluate the use of these funds.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, Financial Management, Pandemic Relief/ESSER Funds, SEA Operations & Performance Management
  • State(s): New Mexico
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 13 Comprehensive Center
Washington State Listens and Learns from Native Students and Families
To better serve American Indian and Alaska Native students in Washington state, the Superintendent and leaders in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction partnered with Region 16 Comprehensive Center and the National Comprehensive Center to participate in a collaborative process with state education agencies, Tribal education leaders, and school administrators. The “Circles of Reflection” process helped the participants raise awareness, reflect, and create a plan forward to improve services to these students and their families.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Specific Population Groups, American Indian/Alaska Native
  • State(s): Washington
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 16 Comprehensive Center
New and Improved System Ensures Every Mississippi School Has Effective Teachers
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) had a goal for every school to have effective teachers and leaders. Through partnership with the Region 7 Comprehensive Center, MDE was able to increase trainers for the Professional Growth System from two to twelve and put systems in place to improve decisionmaking, strategic planning, and communication for future work.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Education Workforce, Professional Development
  • State(s): Mississippi
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 7 Comprehensive Center
Communication Builds Connection, Collaboration, and Capacity for the Rhode Island Department of Education
By establishing and enhancing systems and structures of communication, and creating norms for sharing project work across offices, the Rhode Island Department of Education, with support from the Region 2 Comprehensive Center, is priming project teams to successfully implement critical agencywide initiatives that will serve students and their families far into the future.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management
  • State(s): Rhode Island
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 2 Comprehensive Center
Michigan Paves High School Path to Careers in Education
Faced with a shortage of educators and youth workers, Michigan has created a Grow Your Own initiative in which high school students complete credentials that lead to higher education or immediate employment. The Region 8 Comprehensive Center played a critical role in convening partners and planning the initiative in 2020 during the pandemic. Through the initiative, the Michigan Department of Education increased its capacity to support districts implementing the initiative, enhanced the pathway, and built stakeholder capability.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Education Workforce, Retention, Teaching & Learning, College & Career Preparation
  • State(s): Michigan
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 8 Comprehensive Center
Kentucky Community Joins Forces to Become Virtual Problem Solvers
Districts and schools must constantly address complex challenges that require answering tough questions like, "What is the root cause of the problem?" and "How do we begin to tackle it?" The Kentucky Department of Education, through the support of the Region 5 Comprehensive Center, has adopted a collaborative and systemic continuous improvement approach that leverages the expertise of educators and experts, called the "Networked Improvement Community.”
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, Data & Continuous Improvement, SEA Operations & Performance Management
  • State(s): Kentucky
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 5 Comprehensive Center
Consistent Coaching Benefits Alabama’s Teachers and Students
The ability for teachers to receive support from a well-trained coach is not something the Alabama State Department of Education (ASDE) wanted to leave to chance. Through support from the Region 7 Comprehensive Center, ASDE created a consistent coaching framework that included a common vision and language for coaching called the “Alabama Coaching Framework.”
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Education Workforce, Mentoring & Coaching
  • State(s): Alabama
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 7 Comprehensive Center
Louisiana Gets "Lean," Optimizing Operations to Better Serve Students
The Louisiana Department of Education processes nearly 700 service contracts each year. Streamlining this procedure would greatly impact numerous facets of the agency. The Louisiana Department of Education, in partnership with the Region 14 Comprehensive Center, is implementing an innovative strategy into everyday practice to get schools and students the services they need quickly and efficiently.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, SEA Operations & Performance Management, Student & Staff Well-Being, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
  • State(s): Louisiana
  • Center or Affiliate: Region 14 Comprehensive Center
New Summer Programs in West Virginia Deliver Academic and Social-Emotional Results
Local education agencies in West Virginia spent ESSER II dollars on summer learning and enrichment. In 2021, 30,000 students were served, and the majority maintained or gained proficiency in ELA and math.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, Pandemic Relief/ESSER Funds, Student & Staff Well-Being
  • State(s): West Virginia
  • Center or Affiliate: CCSSO
Grow Your Own Recruitment Programs Quadruple in Missouri Districts
Local teacher recruitment efforts have been a focus in Missouri for more than 5 years. COVID relief funds brought the model to hundreds more districts across the state.
  • Topic(s): Education Systems & Federal Requirements, Pandemic Relief/ESSER Funds, SEA Operations & Performance Management
  • State(s): Missouri
  • Center or Affiliate: CCSSO