ABSTRACT : Although many individual schools have mastered the art of effectively teaching vulnerable children, school districts have the greater challenge of creating systemwide solutions. Simons and Friedman interviewed district superintendents and studied the work of several notable school districts to see what district leaders can do to help the neediest students in their districts. Challenges addressed in the seven school districts studied include the achievement gap, lack of parental involvement, students who were unprepared for school, and the teacher quality gap. Solutions included offering iPods to English language learners, teaching parents to advocate for their students, giving early childhood teachers time for vertical and horizontal planning, and developing a performance-pay system that involves all school staff.
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Authors' note: Anthony Berkley from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Ying-Ying Yuan and Patrick Curtis from Walter R. McDonald and Associates contributed to this article.