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The Transformation Gap: Why Motivated District Leaders Pursue Incremental Change

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Title: The Transformation Gap: Why Motivated District Leaders Pursue Incremental Change
Language: English
Authors: Chelsea Waite, Michael Berardino, Madeline Sims, Arizona State University (ASU), Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)
Source: Center on Reinventing Public Education. 2026.
Availability: Center on Reinventing Public Education. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. H.B. Farmer Education Building, 1050 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281. e-mail: crpe@uw.edu; Web site: https://crpe.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 57
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Barr Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: School Districts, Educational Change, High Schools, Career Pathways, Systems Approach, Superintendents, Administrator Attitudes, Public Education, Educational Improvement
Geographic Terms: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Abstract: School districts are struggling to create both equitable and fundamentally different outcomes for young people through incremental improvements. The alternative is transformational systems change, when school districts redefine their purpose and operations through a coherent strategy to ensure every school is a high-quality, empowering place for all students to thrive--but this remains rare. With support from the Barr Foundation, CRPE studied where and how school districts in New England are pursuing this kind of change. Drawing on a region-wide survey of 307 superintendents across all six New England states and 47 in-depth interviews, this report examines what district-level change efforts are underway, and what shapes leaders' decisions about which changes to pursue.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED682172
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED682172
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  Data: The Transformation Gap: Why Motivated District Leaders Pursue Incremental Change
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chelsea+Waite%22">Chelsea Waite</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+Berardino%22">Michael Berardino</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Madeline+Sims%22">Madeline Sims</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Arizona+State+University+%28ASU%29%2C+Center+on+Reinventing+Public+Education+%28CRPE%29%22">Arizona State University (ASU), Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Center+on+Reinventing+Public+Education%22"><i>Center on Reinventing Public Education</i></searchLink>. 2026.
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  Data: Center on Reinventing Public Education. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. H.B. Farmer Education Building, 1050 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281. e-mail: crpe@uw.edu; Web site: https://crpe.org/
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 57
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Barr Foundation
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  Data: Reports - Research
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  Label: Education Level
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Pathways%22">Career Pathways</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Systems+Approach%22">Systems Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Superintendents%22">Superintendents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Attitudes%22">Administrator Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Education%22">Public Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Improvement%22">Educational Improvement</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Connecticut%22">Connecticut</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maine%22">Maine</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Massachusetts%22">Massachusetts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+Hampshire%22">New Hampshire</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rhode+Island%22">Rhode Island</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vermont%22">Vermont</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: School districts are struggling to create both equitable and fundamentally different outcomes for young people through incremental improvements. The alternative is transformational systems change, when school districts redefine their purpose and operations through a coherent strategy to ensure every school is a high-quality, empowering place for all students to thrive--but this remains rare. With support from the Barr Foundation, CRPE studied where and how school districts in New England are pursuing this kind of change. Drawing on a region-wide survey of 307 superintendents across all six New England states and 47 in-depth interviews, this report examines what district-level change efforts are underway, and what shapes leaders' decisions about which changes to pursue.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: ED682172
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED682172
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 57
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career Pathways
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Systems Approach
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      – SubjectFull: Superintendents
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      – SubjectFull: Administrator Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Public Education
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Improvement
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      – SubjectFull: Connecticut
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      – SubjectFull: Maine
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      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts
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      – SubjectFull: New Hampshire
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      – SubjectFull: Rhode Island
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      – SubjectFull: Vermont
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      – TitleFull: The Transformation Gap: Why Motivated District Leaders Pursue Incremental Change
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              Y: 2026
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            – TitleFull: Center on Reinventing Public Education
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