The Moral Imperative to Build State Education Capacity
From the Statewide Systems of Support Forum
January 24, 2007
Now that states have assumed leadership for improving education by setting high standards and holding districts and schools accountable for achieving them, argues Paul Reville, president of the Rennie Center, "we have both an educational and moral imperative to help provide the capacity to districts to achieve those kinds of results." We, in this context, means all who operate at the state level, from state governments to the regional comprehensive centers.
This observation was part of a hard-hitting look at the current bind state departments of education find themselves in. Reville delivered the keynote speech at the launch of the New England Comprehensive Center's new initiative, Statewide Systems of Support. Given the high numbers of schools and districts being classified as "in need of improvement" under the No Child Left Behind Act, the thin research base about what works, and the lack of any map or template for this work, the NECC convened a day-long conference to bring the most current knowledge to state education officials in New England.
Mr. Reville's talk was followed by three breakout sessions and opportunities for state team meetings; at the end of the day Mr. Reville offered some "wrap-up" reflections. Alyssa Alston, a senior associate at the Council of Chief School Officers addressed "Organizing State Personnel to Support District Improvement"; Keith Speers of the Ohio Department of Education gave a talk on "Managing a System of Providers to Support District Improvement"; and Lauren Morando Rhim, senior consultant for Public Impact and currently working with the national Center on Innovation & Improvement spoke about "Tools and Material Resources to Support District Improvement."
Conference Presentations/Materials
Paul Reville's keynote and wrap-up reflections: 
Listen/Download
(includes audio and presentation slides)
Alyssa Alston's presentation: 
Download
Keith Speers' presentation: Download
Lauren Morando Rhim's presentation: Download
Referenced Materials:
- Key Components of a Statewide System of Support: State Examples and Resources
(handout from Paul Reville-Rennie Center) - Leadership Capacities for a Changing Environment: State and District Responses to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(from The Education Alliance at Brown University)