Building Better Schools
Launching a new school is bold work — and the earliest planning months can define its impact.
Explore stories and strategies from innovative public schools designed around strong instruction, supportive cultures, and community partnership. These resources draw from our Building Better Schools report, highlighting how schools are helping students recover and thrive through visionary design.
Key Takeaways
Focus Drives Excellence
Family Partnership Requires Structure
Excellence Requires Broader Measures and Longer Timelines
Codification Strengthens and Spreads Innovation
Schools that focus deeply on one core innovation achieve stronger, more sustainable results than those trying to innovate in every direction.
Lasting family engagement isn’t a series of events. Schools build trust by embedding partnership into roles, routines, and decision-making.
High-performing schools measure success across academics, belonging, and well-being, reflecting a holistic view of growth that unfolds at different speeds.
Documenting what works and why helps schools maintain quality, close implementation gaps, and scale effective models without losing their core vision.
Voices from the Field
From the Blog
The Building Better Schools report highlights how 122 innovative public schools are advancing equity and excellence through new approaches to teaching, learning, and leadership.
This case study series dives deep into specific schools proving that strong leadership, community partnership, and continuous improvement can drive lasting student success.
See lessons from six high-performing schools and is designed for educators, funders, and policymakers looking for evidence of what’s working in public schools today and practical guidance to strengthen their own efforts.