State-level advocacy actions to strengthen school improvement supports for identified schools¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report recommends a set of state-level advocacy actions for advancing equity through school improvement: urging leaders to "Dedicate state funding to augment federal improvement dollars," revise funding formulas and oppose voucher programs, integrate improvement efforts into broader equity and accountability systems, promote a culture of continuous learning, and provide tiered support for all schools. These are grounded in the interview findings on limited resources, compliance-oriented dynamics, and nascent data use.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• State leaders and policymakers willing to act on advocate engagement
• Alignment of improvement efforts with existing statewide priorities and goals

Constraints¶

• Federal support may be unlikely under the current federal administration, so advocates should focus on state-level efforts while continuing to push for federal solutions

Target Learners¶

• Students in schools identified for comprehensive school improvement
• Students from low-income backgrounds and students of color in underperforming schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• Improved academic outcomes in identified schools
• More equitable educational opportunities and conditions systemwide

Related Strategies¶

• Provide highly contextualized and resource-intensive federal support for school improvement
• Require school-level spending of equity-targeted funds and transparent expenditure reporting
• Invest state discretionary dollars in early intervention systems such as MTSS to reduce later intensive supports

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Levitan, S., & Skubel, A. (2026). Examining State Education Agency Perspectives on School Improvement Supports. EdTrust. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED682340