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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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.
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.
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.
New Summer Programs in West Virginia Deliver Academic and Social-Emotional Results
Local education agencies in West Virginia spent ESSER II dollars on summer learning and enrichment. In 2021, 30,000 students were served, and the majority maintained or gained proficiency in ELA and math.
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.
New Framework Unites States, Districts, and Tribes to Improve Education for Native Students
Circles of Reflection, developed by National Comprehensive Center, represents a new approach aimed at supporting collaboration between state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and Tribal educational departments (TEDs) to lift Native voices and address Native students’ needs.
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.
Team Effort Launches Comprehensive Collection of Mental Health Supports for Texas Students
The need for mental health resources in Texas has outpaced what is currently available. To meet that need, the Region 14 Comprehensive Center is supporting the Texas Education agency in building statewide, school-based mental health supports to ensure students, families, schools, and districts have access to the tools and resources necessary to address mental and behavioral health needs effectively.
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.
Communication and Data Use Transform School Culture in Palau
Districts and schools in Palau are seeing positive changes in teaching and learning from implementing the "Circles of Success" model, created in partnership with the Palau Ministry of Education and the Region 18 Comprehensive Center. The model focuses on student-centered instruction, data-driven teaching and decisionmaking, and improving organizational structures and practices.
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.”
