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Results:
• Now one of the top high schools in Tennessee
• Named the district's Blue Ribbon School of the Year
• Decreased office referral, tardy, and absentee rates

What does shared leadership look like? At Westwood High School in Memphis, TN, it is evident when teachers and staff members talk with students in the halls between classes; when students demonstrate pride in themselves and their school by being fully engaged in their classes; when parents participate in their children's school life; and when community members are regular partners in the school.

This picture of collaboration and purpose was not present four years ago when...

Results:
• 84% of participating parents are now at or above the national median in terms of engagement in academic stimulation
• SPARK kids do significantly better on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for Literacy (KRA-L) than non-SPARK kids

"Who doesn't want their students to come to school ready to learn?" asked Joni T. Close, senior program director at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton.  What parent, what principal, what superintendent and what school board member would disagree?  But what influence do public schools have on their future students before they enter the schoolhouse door?

A lot, if you ask folks at the Canton City and Minerva Local (Stark) school districts.

The two northeast Ohio districts are participating in an innovative...

Results:
• 60% of students enroll in honors classes, with 26% in AP classes
• 56% of students passed the Maryland High School Assessment in Algebra in 2007, up from 31% in 2004

Data-driven decision-making, targeted staff development, collaborative leadership, and the sheer will of committed staff members have launched Wheaton High School on a promising trajectory. Located in Montgomery County, MD, a predominately affluent area that has more than 20 high schools, Wheaton (which is 51% Hispanic, 26% African American, and 37% free or reduced price lunch) has always received attention, but unfortunately, for many years the attention focused on lackluster student achievement.

These days, though...

Results:
• Pass rates on Virginia Standards of Learning tests often meet or exceed state averages
• Steady gains on SAT and other standardized test scores over the past several years

J.E.B. Stuart is the most diverse high school in Fairfax County, Virginia - and it may be one of the most diverse in the nation.  Thirty-nine percent of students are Hispanic; 19 percent are Asian; 12 percent are African-American; and 27 percent...

Results:
• In 2005, 89% of students passed the Massachusetts math exam, up from less than 50% in 1999
• Now ranked in top 5% of Boston public schools on reading and math scores

In 1999, shortly before principal Mary Russo arrived at the Richard J. Murphy K-8 School in Dorchester, Mass., more than half the students failed the state math exam. Russo's mandate was to boost student achievement. To do so, she focused on establishing collaborative development practices that would help teachers learn from each other and work toward a common goal. With better instruction, she reasoned, those test scores would go up...