Districts on the Move

Leading a Coherent System of Continuous Improvement

“The individual and collective quest we all pursue as educators to lift student achievement is complicated by a blizzard of theories and no lack of self-appointed experts. It is so exciting to see the years of serious, credible, and successful work that Jay Westover and his team have done with countless school districts captured in a way that is accessible to all of us committed to student success. It is an important book that reveals meaningful, capacity building paths for district and school leaders.”

“Districts on the Move provides educators with critical insights into capacity building, which remains the holy grail for school districts in order to sustain the collaborative culture of inquiry that results in an organization focused on continuous improvement.”

“Districts on the Move is a book about how school districts build systems of improvement that are larger than a person or an idea. The challenge for superintendents and district leaders is creating a culture and system of improvement that survives changes in leadership. Jay Westover’s book provides both a framework and case study examples of how district leaders can create systemic improvements that show up on the desks of students in classrooms.”

“This body of work is a must-read for every educational leader, especially at the central office level. There are no easy answers to address equity in education, but there are intentional ways to build coherence and lead the work. Jay Westover has created a clear and precise framework for building capacity for whole systems change that starts from the desk of the student and moves throughout the organization. This is not a read one time kind of book, but rather a guiding resource for leaders to use in order to successfully meet the needs of all students.”

“Improvement efforts in education have prompted reforms intended to ensure that teachers and school leaders have the professional skill set and capacity to meet the educational needs of all students. However, where others have failed, InnovateEd has succeeded, creating explicit structures for school and district collaboration that develop a shared learning system of interaction. Districts on the Move enables both increased technical expertise and organic accountability systems in which dialectic practices about student learning result in strengthening of collective agreements. Professional learning in this kind of setting is purposeful and directly connected to student learning outcomes.”

“As a teacher, principal, or district office administrator, Districts on the Move will give you a new way to look at your work. Jay Westover knows people make the difference in organizations. Systemic collaboration and co-learning leads to continuous improvement for students. Every educator has realized we can no longer be successful alone. Districts on the Move details a step-by-step process of collective implementation with practical examples every educator can use.”

“Jay Westover and the InnovateEd team have been working and learning with school districts for a number of years. He understands deeply that schools want their students to do better, and that school districts can make a great difference in inspiring, leading, and learning with schools to become more precise about the work on the students’ desks. This book illuminates powerful, practical pathways for districts and schools to increase their impact and accelerate and deepen learning for students and staff. It is a must-read for all educators who want to become better at what really matters in our classrooms.”