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School site leaders – both principals and teachers – played a vital role in moving these schools forward. While the lessons from these schools speak to many audiences, they are perhaps clearest for those looking to play a leadership role in their own schools. This final section draws a succinct set of actions to consider from the themes and school stories that run throughout this report. In seven of the eight schools, the principal was a visionary leader. From cheerleading to coaching to fundraising, these principals set high expectations and provided support. They created the conditions for success, and they modeled the importance of learning in their own behavior. They also shared leadership with others on the staff, as illustrated in the section on collaborative environment. At Wilson, the primary leadership came from a core group of teachers, who initiated the math project and maintained momentum through a succession of principals. Strong leadership is critical, but it can come from a variety of sources. The school district was not a major player in these success stories. These schools operated fairly independently from their districts. Districts provided standards and curriculum guides; they offered credit, funds, or actual opportunities to attend professional development workshops; but they were not very actively involved. In fact, several schools wished that their districts would take a more active role in promoting and supporting reform. They would like to be tapped as resources to help other schools achieve similar success. To move from isolated examples of success – "islands of hope" as Killion terms them – to more widespread improvement, the district role becomes more important. District policies, resources, and support strategies can all help build school capacity. One way to identify more specific implications for the district’s role is to map backward from the conditions we have identified in these award-winning schools. Thus, the table "What Site and District Leaders Can Do" suggests critical actions for both site leadership and district administrators. If school sites need to look at student data, for example, analyzing with a variety of measures what students can and cannot do, then the district’s role is to help them get the data they need in a timely way and assist with analysis and interpretation. If professional development embedded in the work of the school is critical to success, then the district can help to identify, communicate, and support structures for that learning. We hope that the suggested actions in the table, the more detailed descriptions throughout this report, and the examples of the schools themselves can inspire and guide others to follow in their footsteps. See also: What Site and District Leaders Can Do

Strong leadership is critical, but it can come from a variety of sources. In seven of the eight schools, the principal was a visionary leader. In one school the primary leadership came from a core group of teachers.       If professional development embedded in the work of the school is critical to success, then the district can help to identify, communicate, and support structures for that learning.       If school sites need to look at student data then the district’s role is to help them get the data they need in a timely way and assist with analysis and interpretation.