ALL THE VOICES - STATEWIDE COLLABORATIONS FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP UNDER ESSA

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC) convened education agency leaders, community organization leaders, and other partners to tackle state-level challenges facing schools and school leaders during ESSA’s shift of authority to states. From 2016 to 2022, 11 state teams generated policy design and rollout advice, launched professional learning programs for school leaders, and produced statewide materials for educators and community members. The report explains how diverse “voices” enabled collegial collaboration, shaped equity-focused leadership and school improvement, and influenced ESSA implementation, including Title I accountability and school improvement supports.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages41

Reading Time1 h 43 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Purpose and Design of the ELLC

Team Outputs (2016–2022)

Collaboration Model and Membership

Organizational Support and Steering Committee

Statewide Accomplishments and Policy Impact

Learning Programs and Field Resources

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 ALL THE VOICES: STATEWIDE COLLABORATIONS FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP UNDER ESSA Brenda J. Turnbull Daniel K. Aladjem Kathleen Fletcher Sophie Kidd EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC) was an unusual endeavor that allowed education agency leaders, community organization leaders, and others to work together on challenges facing schools and school leaders in their states. The ELLC was designed to take advantage of new opportunities for state and local decision making presented in its namesake: the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which in 2015 reauthorized the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The ESSA amendments, by shifting the weight of authority over federal elementary-secondary programs to the states, created opportunities for state policy innovation. Over the years from 2016 to 2022, ELLC participants in 11 state teams produced advice to state agencies on policy design and rollout, created new programs of professional learning for school leaders and contributed to changes in existing programs, and produced materials for statewide use by community members and educators. These practical results came about because each team brought together different voices to articulate a shared vision and act on it. The title of this report comes from a comment by a team member looking back on more than four years of the experience to draw a lesson for future activities like the ELLC: Build the team around all the voices….That’s the power of the group,… having the time and the ability to develop truly collegial relationships, have truly thought-provoking conversations about different things that are being done, and question what’s being done and the thought process behind it. For state agencies, local school districts, or community-based organizations, this report on the work of the ELLC offers potentially useful examples of ways in which they might join with others to address problems of practice and policy as they work toward effective, equity-centered school leadership, especially for high-need schools. The ELLC’s lessons may be especially helpful for those who are in a position to convene leaders and high-level staff from disparate organizations in search of innovative ways to solve these challenges—or, conceivably, other equally complex challenges. Potential conveners could include state agencies, foundations, or technical assistance providers serving a state or region. The ELLC was distinctive in tapping the energies of state, district, and community agencies and organizations and charging them with collaborating as a team. The initial members of state teams—up to about 10 in number on most teams—were leaders in the state education agency, at least one urban district, and a National Urban League affiliate. The Wallace Foundation created the design for the ELLC and has supported it with approximately $18 million over the years. National partners—the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the National Urban League—have led the initiative alongside the foundation in a four-member steering committee defining and supporting the ELLC’s mission and its ways of working. Ten teams have been ELLC members continuously since 2016 or 2017, representing Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. A Florida team briefly joined in 2017 and then rejoined in 2020. In addition to members from state agencies, urban districts, and the Urban League, teams have used their flexibility to add representatives of other community organizations, local or statewide non-profits, rural school districts, regional service agencies, statewide associations, and universities, resulting in a different mix of members in each team. Policy Studies Associates, under contract to The Wallace Foundation, has drawn lessons from the ELLC’s work both for ELLC participants and for the fie

FAQs

What is the ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC)?

The ELLC is a collaborative initiative that brought together state education leaders, community organization leaders, and others to address challenges facing schools and school leaders as states implemented the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

What results did ELLC state teams produce between 2016 and 2022?

Teams produced advice for state agencies on policy design and rollout, created professional learning programs for school leaders, contributed to new or existing programs, and developed resources for statewide use by community members and educators.

How did the report explain why the teams were able to influence policy and practice?

The report attributes progress to bringing together different voices to build a shared vision, support collegial relationships, and hold thought-provoking conversations that question both actions and underlying decision processes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah