Chiefs for Change today announced new workshops for K-12 systems leaders as they aim to get students on track in their learning and design schools that serve all children well. The workshops, provided at no cost to districts and state education departments led by members of the network, give chiefs and their teams the opportunity to work with expert partners on important projects related to pandemic recovery and future planning. Leaders and their teams can receive assistance in areas ranging from assessing programs funded with federal Covid relief aid to designing best-in-class initiatives. Assistance is also available to evaluate high-dosage tutoring programs, implement efforts to support student wellbeing, and adopt practices that are central to high-performing teams.
“Over the past year, Chiefs for Change has dramatically expanded our technical assistance division to better serve our members,” said Chiefs for Change Board Chair and Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. “These new offerings announced today are the latest extension of that work, as our organization looks to meet chiefs’ needs by helping them launch or scale initiatives that make a difference for students and by documenting the most promising practices so others can learn from those examples. As our members serve children today and build the schools of the future, we must rely on rigorous research and evidence-based approaches to implement strategies that have been shown to work. We must also have the courage to leave behind those practices that do not serve children well and create entirely new models of education where necessary.”
Members of Chiefs for Change who are interested in learning more about the network’s technical assistance opportunities should please contact Chief of Technical Assistance Program Management Dale Schmidt at dschmidt@chiefsforchange.org. Workshops will draw on the publicly available library of Chiefs for Change resources that includes toolkits, guides, and other materials to support pandemic recovery efforts in K-12 systems. Please see below for more information.
Workshop Descriptions:
Taking Stock of ESSER Implementation and Charting a Path Forward
In this workshop, we will conduct a top-team survey to assess roadblocks in implementing ESSER-funded initiatives and identify successes and challenges. The team will help to prioritize core areas of focus based on data provided by the system and will help to find alignment and coherence across initiatives for future prioritization.
Designing Best-In-Class Initiatives
In this workshop, we will help leaders articulate goals, metrics, and milestones for key initiatives through the use of a system-tailored initiative template. The team will customize templates to guide initiative planning, design, and reporting that is aligned to a district’s strategic goals.
Unpacking High-Dosage Tutoring Gaps and Opportunities
In this workshop, we will inventory existing tutoring and tutoring-adjacent programs to identify successes, challenges, and gaps based on information shared by the system. Together, with the system, we will identify a “single point of truth” around the inventoried programs and help create tangible action items, driven by evidence based research and best practices, to support progress going forward.
Conducting a Student Wellbeing QuickStart
In this workshop, we will utilize the Student Wellbeing Reflection Tool’s Executive QuickStart to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement and develop an action plan. The team and the system will align on student wellbeing priorities and conclude with a catalog of student-related research and best practices.
Taking a Structured Approach to Driving Behavior Change
In this workshop, we will introduce an evidence-based protocol to support effective behavioral change management. We will discuss solutions for addressing challenges that require behavior change and will share materials to help introduce a behavior-change protocol to the broader staff.
About Chiefs for Change
Chiefs for Change is a bipartisan network of diverse school superintendents and state education leaders. The network supports members and provides technical assistance; advocates for the adoption of effective policies and practices; and develops the next generation of bold, student-focused superintendents.
