Improving Schools Network Improvement Community (NIC) program focuses on actively contributing to improving student achievement across schools through shared best practice and problem solving with school leaders. Cohort members will engage in an exploratory Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) process to address common cohort problems of practice.

The primary goal is to support strong leaders from various schools/networks to learn from one another and to push each other to become better leaders and achievers. The community of practice will include learning walks of each other’s schools, collaboration around innovative practices, and may include visits to schools outside of Atlanta.

The secondary goal of the community of practice will be to harness the power of the cohort as thought partners to continue to explore issues related to “innovation/empowerment”. This secondary goal will focus on identifying current and possible future autonomies that support innovation and achievement.

The program is rooted in cross-school coaching for cohorts of school leaders beginning with co-creating school-specific goals related to overall program goals and aligned with School Strategic Action/Improvement Plans via initial individual school leader meetings, followed closely by School Walk-Thrus using School Quality Review processes co-conducted with school leaders to further identify/give evidence to support current school’s strengths and areas for development.

Monthly coaching support and cohort sessions home in on the identified key school-level structures and routines in need of support and revision. Key structures include: