• guide to continuous improvement of the statewide system of support,
• develop strong systems to assess district and school operations, identify needed supports, plan improvement, and evaluate results,
• coordinate the work of Change Agents and Instructional Specialists, and
• integrate the statewide system of support with other SEA functions.

In each state, someone is the key administrator in defining and managing the statewide system of support for district and school improvement. This person must possess a keen understanding of both state systems and their potential to effect constructive change in districts and schools. Each level in the system—state (including regional extensions and partners), district (including the local board and central office), school (including leadership and teams), and classroom (including instruction and family engagement) is critical to a strong system of education, as are the relationships among these levels. The Academy will provide training, collaboration, and continued support for System Leaders to examine and improve their statewide systems of support. The training will be headed by Sam Redding, CII’s Director and co–editor of the Handbook on Statewide Systems of Support, with assistance from experienced state leaders. Especially, the System Leaders will focus on linking the two areas of expertise—change agency and instructional leadership—to enable the full team of five to work coherently in their state.

CHANGE AGENTS. Change Agents will be trained and supported to:

• serve as Change Agents themselves, raising expectations, developing leadership, and improving results in districts and schools,
• build Change Agent programs in their states,
• recruit the strongest Change Agents in their states,
• train, supervise, and coordinate the work of Change Agents in their states,
• align the work of the Change Agents with that of the Instructional Specialists.

Over the years, many states have deployed consultants, coaches, and distinguished educators to assist districts and schools, with disappointing results. The Academy is proposing a different way. With lessons learned from Kentucky’s highly regarded program of Highly Skilled Educators, and new research on rapid improvement, the Academy will train and support Change Agents to develop high-quality Change Agent programs in their states and also serve as Change Agents. The training will be headed by Stephen Schenck, former Associate Commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Education, who directed the program there, and will include Barbara Kennedy, also formerly with the Kentucky Department of Education. The program for Change Agents will specifically focus on the dynamics of change, building leadership capacity, and creating safe, orderly, and positive learning environments.

INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALISTS. Instructional Specialists will be trained and supported to:

• serve as Instructional Specialists themselves, training and advising principals and teacher leaders to effect systematic improvement of instructional planning and delivery,
• build Instructional Specialist programs in their states,
• recruit the strongest Instructional Specialists in their states,
• train, supervise, and coordinate the work of Instructional Specialists in their states,
• align the work of the Instructional Specialists with that of the Change Agents.

To drive the impact of school improvement efforts into the classroom, and reach a critical mass of instructional excellence, the Academy will train two Instructional Specialists from each state, part of the team of five, to put in place high-quality state programs of Instructional Specialists. The training will be headed by Nancy Protheroe, an expert on instruction and a member of CII’s Scientific Council, and will include trainers who launched the successful Instructional Leadership program in Virginia. The program will specifically focus on systematic implementation of standards-aligned, individualized, and personalized instruction in schools, including the role of the district and the school’s leadership. This strong instructional element to district and school improvement will work in synch with the systemic improvement processes spearheaded by the district and school improvement teams, optimally supported by state Change Agents.