Efficient and Effective Best Practices Using

• Federal Entitlement Programs
• Special Education (IDEA) Funds
• Career Technical Education (CTEA) Funds
• Competitive Grant Programs Funds

Examples from districts and schools we have worked with:

Pasadena ISD, TX, with an enrollment of more than 51,000 students, 75% of whom qualify for Free/Reduced meals and 77.2% of whom are Hispanic, has 34 elementary schools, eight middle schools, 10 intermediate schools, five high schools and four alternative education facilities. Every year, Pasadena students earn state, regional and national recognition for their academic achievements and Pasadena was recognized by the International Center for Leadership in Education' as the 2008 National Model School District. The district has worked closely with the International Center for several years. In doing so, the District made use of part of its Title I, Title IIB and IID, Title III, and IDEA funds to create an executive coaching program facilitated by the International Center, as well as professional development in areas of Rigor/Relevance, including walkthrough training, lesson design, and literacy, all delivered by International Center Senior Consultants. http://www.pasadenaisd.org/pages/aboutdistrict.htm

The Wayne MI Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) provides a broad spectrum of services and support to Wayne County's 34 school districts, aimed at improving student achievement and maximizing economies of scale in staff development, purchasing, and administrative services. With a total population of approximately 2.1 million, Wayne County is the most populous county in the State of Michigan and the 8th most populous county in the nation. There are 34 school districts in 43 Wayne County communities serving approximately 285,000 students.

In 2007-08 and ongoing in 2008-09, the Agency has utilized Special Education (IDEA) funding to implement an extensive technical assistance program that has deployed the resources of the International Center’s Special Education Institute, led by Institute Director, Larry Gloeckler. Larry and his team have reviewed district IDEA practices, shared best practices in IDEA administration and delivery, and provided professional development services to special education and general education teachers. Find more information at http://www.resa.net/. 

 Brockton High School, Brockton, MA, one of the largest high schools in the state with over 4000 students, used a Small Learning Communities Implementation Grant from the United States Department of Education to focus on literacy across the content areas in grades 9-12. The initiative became a central focus for overall school improvement initiative. Over several years, Brockton has utilized a number of International Center consultants to train staff (and students) on using rigor and relevance in curriculum and instruction and, despite its challenging demographics, has shown impressive continuous improvement in test scores, attendance, graduation rates and other indicators of excellence. http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/page.cfm?p=3

Plain Dealing High School, Plain Dealing, LA used a grant to purchase laptop computers, software, graphing calculators, and presentation hardware to enhance students’ math classroom experience. This technology, used to instruct students on a deeper level, makes the real-world application of their daily lessons come alive. The largest impact on instruction and classroom strategies, however, has come from the teachers focusing on the International Center for Leadership in Education’s Rigor/Relevance Framework™. The staff has pursued developing Quadrant D lessons with the instructional technology available being incorporated into lessons on a regular basis.  http://plaindealinghigh.com/

The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the nation by enrollment, with a student population of 167,128, approximately 85% of whom are minorities. The district is in Year 1 of a 5-year federal Department of Education-funded Small Learning Communities grant initiative. A combination of data analysis, coaching and strategic planning, customized for each of the 4 participating high schools, is being provided by International Center for Leadership in Education consultants. http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/about/

Lakeshore Alliance for Student Success (LASS) is a 501c3 Not-for-Profit Corporation composed of member school corporations and partner universities in Lake, La Porte and Porter counties of Indiana. LASS, Inc. LASS was awarded a $4.7 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement Smaller Learning Communities at the four largest high schools in the consortium’s membership (Hammond HS, Hammond Morton HS, Lowell HS and Merrillville HS) LASS has leveraged the pooled funding and selected the International Center for Leadership in Education to conduct needs assessment, leadership coaching and professional development for the participating schools. Funds have also been deployed to purchase teacher training materials such as the International Center’s Gold Seal Lessons and to allow selected representatives of the schools to participate in the International Center’s Model Schools Conference. http://www.mvsc.k12.in.us/lass/