With the overarching goal of ensuring the success of all students, the Indiana Area School District and the Whitehall-Coplay School Districts approached the challenge through a systems lens. Their journey through NCEE’s System Design Benchmarking (SDB) offering included
- studying the core principles and characteristics of the world’s top-performing education systems;
- analyzing the district system structures, processes, incentives, and supports; and
- determining what changes need to be made at the local level to transform, align, and bring coherence to the work of each district—and generate improved student outcomes.
Their SDB experience engaged participants from throughout the district in challenging conversations, facilitated shifts in the educational framework of the district, and fostered a transformation in the mindset of educators.
Read the full case studies to learn how these districts were able to foster a culture of collaboration, distribute leadership while empowering individual leaders, and promote students’ agency in their own education.
The Indiana Area School District (IASD) is redefining what’s possible in education, and their journey through NCEE’s System Design Benchmarking experience is proof. By embracing bold ideas and global best practices, they’ve transformed leadership, strengthened collaboration, and amplified student voices in ways that are already making a lasting impact. From rethinking how educators work together to ensuring students have a real say in their education, IASD is setting the stage for a future where every learner thrives.
“My biggest takeaway is that it takes more than just the school district or a school to make systemic changes. It even takes more than a board of directors because if you don’t have buy-in from the community, the school board, the superintendent, and those that are implementing it, this systemic change is never going to happen.” —Paul McCue, Junior High school teacher at IASD
The Whitehall-Coplay School District (WCSD) is proving that real educational change starts with bold conversations and collective action. Through NCEE’s System Design Benchmarking, the district has reimagined collaboration, strengthened leadership at every level, and taken decisive steps to ensure students are truly prepared for the future. From refining communication structures to developing a shared graduate profile, WCSD is building a school system that is not just effective but deeply connected to the needs of its students and educators.
“It was a whole different approach to education that was eye-opening and outside the box. One almost needs to think beyond the scope of an educator to think this way, as we often get stuck in the echo chamber.” —Gabriel Dillard, elementary school principal at WCSD
