In spring 1995, CCSSO launched the High-Poverty Schools Initiative, now known as the School Improvement Initiative, to assist states in building the capacity to support low-performing districts and schools through projects focused on different grade levels and student demographic groups. The State Support Team Network (SSTN) joined the High-Poverty Schools Initiative in 2002, aimed at creating a community of practice for state staff to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to implement systemic supports for high-poverty and low-performing districts and schools.

In 2005, CCSSO built onto the foundation of these prior efforts by establishing the Consortium for School Improvement (CSI), in collaboration with the Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE) at Johns Hopkins University. CDDRE is a research center designed to work intensively with states and districts on data-based decision making and access to evidence based school improvement programs for low-performing districts and schools. CSI advises CDDRE to ensure that the research is useful and impactful, in addition to providing networking opportunities for states, districts, and CDDRE research partners.

The Consortium for School Improvement is funded through a five-year grant from the Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. Continuing the work of the State Support Team Network, the Consortium for School Improvement complements and enhances CDDRE by providing states with the opportunity to pool their resources and access current research and practice to strengthen state systems of school support. The following leverage points form the basis of CSI’s work:

• aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment
• building teacher and principal knowledge, skills, and competencies
• interpreting and using data to drive decision-making at all levels
• targeting interventions and resources on low-performing students and schools
• providing a system of support for low-performing districts and schools
• creating partnerships to support school improvement
• promoting and enabling district and school building leadership focused on a common vision towards improving student achievement

CSI states share promising strategies and resources through meetings, an online forum, and the monthly Support for School Improvement e-newsletter.

Project Staff
Alyssa Alston, 202-336-7050, alyssaa@ccsso.org