Publications

Over the past 20 years, INSTLL has worked closely with multiple state departments of education and local school districts to develop and enact strategies leading to accelerated improvement in student achievement. We offer a comprehensive approach to district and school improvement, reflected in our Improvement Framework and a suite of organizational and instructional tools, resources, and training. 

The foundational Accelerated Practices for School Improvement were developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, based on multiple years of research and use (2014 to 2025) with districts and schools. INSTLL has applied this framework in over 25 schools, leading to sustained gains in students' academic achievement and schools exiting state-designated improvement status.

We share the following publications as evidence of impact:

• The final Turnaround Practices in Action policy analysis and practice guide, which details the specific practices used by schools that led to dramatic increases in student achievement.
• The Turnaround Practices Field Guide, which provides additional, and school-specific, examples of practices used by schools that experienced rapid improvement.
• The Massachusetts Turnaround Practices Research and Evaluation Report site and summary Research on Effective Practices in School Turnaround are excellent resources and summarize much of the research in digital form. 
• Spotlight Practices Brief - Allegany County, Maryland
• Spotlight Practices Brief - Worcester Public Schools, Massachusetts

See our Accelerated District and School Improvement page for additional information.   

Our work over the past 15 years has focused on the use of leadership networking and improvement science methodology to accelerate improvement efforts within and across school districts. Building upon this experience and research, we have refined an approach to Leadership Networking designed to build leadership capacity (systems thinking and instructional leadership) and support districts in developing a durable framework for expanding teacher expertise.

Recent work and publications:

Leadership Capacity and Networking: In 2025, INSTLL completed a seven-year partnership with a large urban school district that resulted in significant improvement and positive changes in district organization and student achievement, including the development of a district framework for improvement. Through this collaborative partnership, which involved multi-year partnerships with 16 schools, we developed and provided multi-year professional development and networking supports designed to engage district schools, school leaders, and coaches and teachers in a comprehensive approach to improving instruction and building capacity for sustainable improvement.  

Leadership Capacity to Implement State Policy: Between 2023 and 2025, INSTLL served as the Strategic Facilitator for two Maryland districts, providing consultative, strategic planning, and technical support in implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (the Blueprint). The Blueprint is a comprehensive statewide policy initiative intended to dramatic change and improve K-16 education across the state [see Blueprint]. 

Networking for Improvement: INSTLL recently completed a multi-year partnership with a network of five urban districts and over 20 schools working on a shared problem of practice and we have since expanded this work by focusing on building networks of schools within districts.  The five-district Gateway to College Success initiative led to the publication of a policy brief, Using Networked Improvement Communities to Accelerate Improvement, and a detailed Technical Report that provides the research and evidence base for the brief. school turnaround

Four recent evaluation reports showcase our approach to providing customized and rigorous evaluation support to organizations, state departments of education, and districts: 

• Implementation evaluation of the Bay State Reading Initiative as part of a five-year Investing in Innovation (i3) grant.
• The Improving School Initiative Final Evaluation Brief: A three-year evaluation of Boston-based school improvement effort, focusing on coaching, data-use, and building teacher and leadership capacity in three urban schools.
• Achieving College Success: A multi-year evaluation of the impact of an Advanced Placement STEM and English Initiative on students' matriculation, persistence and success in college. 
• The proceedings from the 2014 College Success Research Forum provide an integrated policy and research agenda for improving the college attendance and persistence of minority and low income students. Bringing together national and state leaders (Massachusetts), this document summarizes the key findings, challenges, and action items for improving college success.