Impact Stories
How do we know we’re making an impact? The CCNetwork’s Impact Stories illustrate the results of our work by celebrating ingenuity and collaboration and highlighting moments that sparked change in education. Written by National Comprehensive Center and Regional Comprehensive Center staff, these stories detail key strategies, important lessons, and promising solutions emerging from the CCNetwork's work with SEAs and LEAs across the country. We also share success stories of CCSSO members here as well to elevate additional examples of ways states and jurisdictions are making an impact in education. Filter by topic, Center, or state/jurisdiction to gain new ideas and to cheer for the great work happening in your area.
Featured Impact Stories
National Center Forms Communities of Practice to Tackle Education’s Biggest Post-Pandemic Challenges
The National Comprehensive Center brought together state education agency teams to function as Communities of Practice to focus on critical educational issues related to equity, out-of-school time programming, and use of American Rescue Plan funds.
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Grant Allows Colorado School Leadership Team to Develop K–3 Standards-Aligned Math Curriculum
After a dramatic drop in the first assessment results for math and English language arts post-pandemic, COVID-relief dollars became grants for schools and districts focusing on curriculum.
Flexibility with Relief Funds Allows Washington Districts to Succeed
Thanks to financial flexibility, districts have been able to address unique needs like food insecurity and Wi-Fi hotspots, which has led to higher attendance rates and learning recovery.
Recovery Money Allows North Dakota to Train, Tutor, and Advance
North Dakota is using the recovery money to train school board members, hire math specialists, and offer more advanced placement classes to high school students.
North Carolina Leads the Nation in K–3 Literacy
The end of the year reading diagnostic data revealed North Carolina K–3 students were outpacing the rest of the nation thanks to efforts made with COVID relief funds.
Oregon Addresses Broad Spectrum of Needs, Including Well-Being Services
Oregon’s state education agency directed funds to three key needs: physical and mental health services, transitions for incoming kindergarteners, and post-pandemic revitalization in Tribal nations.
Grow Your Own Recruitment Programs Quadruple in Missouri Districts
Local teacher recruitment efforts have been a focus in Missouri for more than 5 years. COVID relief funds brought the model to hundreds more districts across the state.
Hawaii's Students Achieve Academic Gains Across Core Subjects
Hawaii’s state education superintendent sees the benefits of the state’s return to in-person learning.
Louisiana Gets "Lean," Optimizing Operations to Better Serve Students
The Louisiana Department of Education processes nearly 700 service contracts each year. Streamlining this procedure would greatly impact numerous facets of the agency. The Louisiana Department of Education, in partnership with the Region 14 Comprehensive Center, is implementing an innovative strategy into everyday practice to get schools and students the services they need quickly and efficiently.
Consistent Coaching Benefits Alabama’s Teachers and Students
The ability for teachers to receive support from a well-trained coach is not something the Alabama State Department of Education (ASDE) wanted to leave to chance. Through support from the Region 7 Comprehensive Center, ASDE created a consistent coaching framework that included a common vision and language for coaching called the “Alabama Coaching Framework.”
Kentucky Community Joins Forces to Become Virtual Problem Solvers
Districts and schools must constantly address complex challenges that require answering tough questions like, "What is the root cause of the problem?" and "How do we begin to tackle it?" The Kentucky Department of Education, through the support of the Region 5 Comprehensive Center, has adopted a collaborative and systemic continuous improvement approach that leverages the expertise of educators and experts, called the "Networked Improvement Community.”
Michigan Paves High School Path to Careers in Education
Faced with a shortage of educators and youth workers, Michigan has created a Grow Your Own initiative in which high school students complete credentials that lead to higher education or immediate employment. The Region 8 Comprehensive Center played a critical role in convening partners and planning the initiative in 2020 during the pandemic. Through the initiative, the Michigan Department of Education increased its capacity to support districts implementing the initiative, enhanced the pathway, and built stakeholder capability.
Communication Builds Connection, Collaboration, and Capacity for the Rhode Island Department of Education
By establishing and enhancing systems and structures of communication, and creating norms for sharing project work across offices, the Rhode Island Department of Education, with support from the Region 2 Comprehensive Center, is priming project teams to successfully implement critical agencywide initiatives that will serve students and their families far into the future.
New and Improved System Ensures Every Mississippi School Has Effective Teachers
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) had a goal for every school to have effective teachers and leaders. Through partnership with the Region 7 Comprehensive Center, MDE was able to increase trainers for the Professional Growth System from two to twelve and put systems in place to improve decisionmaking, strategic planning, and communication for future work.
Washington State Listens and Learns from Native Students and Families
To better serve American Indian and Alaska Native students in Washington state, the Superintendent and leaders in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction partnered with Region 16 Comprehensive Center and the National Comprehensive Center to participate in a collaborative process with state education agencies, Tribal education leaders, and school administrators. The “Circles of Reflection” process helped the participants raise awareness, reflect, and create a plan forward to improve services to these students and their families.
New Mexico Districts Get the Biggest Bang for Their ARP Bucks
The unprecedented infusion of federal relief and recovery funds were provided to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system. The funds presented an opportunity and an urgent need for New Mexico to design and implement new measures to help school districts strategically plan, implement, track, and evaluate the use of these funds.
