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It frames transformational systems change as redesigning how students experience school through new ways of working—reshaping learning progressions, adult collaboration, resource distribution, and decision-making. The executive summary contrasts district redesign and detracking approaches with ongoing gaps in achievement and engagement, arguing incremental curriculum or budget adjustments are insufficient under political and fiscal pressures.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-transformation-gap-why-motivated-district-leaders-pursue-incremental-change/583362/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-transformation-gap-why-motivated-district-leaders-pursue-incremental-change/583362.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Jake","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the report mean by transformational systems change?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It refers to reshaping how students experience school by designing entirely new ways of working, including changes to what students learn, how adults collaborate, how resources are distributed, and how decisions are made.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why does the report say incremental changes are not enough?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It argues that school systems were not designed for equitable outcomes at scale, and political or fiscal pressures prevent districts from preparing students adequately through curriculum, program, or budgeting adjustments alone.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What research question guides the study?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The study asks the extent to which school district leaders pursue transformational change and what shapes their decisions about which changes to pursue.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},583362,1792062146,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},962084928904,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","The Transformation Gap: Why Motivated District Leaders Pursue Incremental Change  \nChelsea Waite, Michael Berardino, and Madeline Sims  \nJULY 2026  \nTHE TRANSFORMATION GAP: WHY MOTIVATED DISTRICT LEADERS PURSUE INCREMENTAL CHANGE  \n Table of Contents  \nAcknowledgments  \nExecutive Summary  \nI. Introduction: Why Transformational Systems Change?  \nII. Methods  \nIII. Are Districts Trying to Transform?  \n(Findings 1-2)  \nIV. What Shapes District Leaders' Change Efforts (Findings 3-5)  \nV. Implications  \nAppendix A: Survey Methods  \nAppendix B: Survey Results  \nAppendix C: Artifact Elicitation Interview Methods  \nAppendix D: Examples of Transformational Systems Change Efforts  \nii  \n1  \n4  \n7  \n9  \n21  \n30  \n34  \n39  \n48  \n52  \nCENTER ON REINVENTING PUBLIC EDUCATION  \ni  \nTHE TRANSFORMATION GAP: WHY MOTIVATED DISTRICT LEADERS PURSUE INCREMENTAL CHANGE  \n Acknowledgments  \nWe are grateful to the superintendents who took the time to complete the survey, and especially to those who allowed us to interview them. Their insights and candor are the backbone of this report. We are also grateful to the leaders of state-level and regional superintendent associations in New England, who encouraged their members to participate in the survey and whose input was invaluable in both survey planning and sense-making. Additionally, the study’s New England Regional Impact board, a group of twelve advisors representing public education leaders and advocates, offered feedback and ideas that substantially shaped the framing, findings, and interpretation in this report. Lastly, we are grateful for the support and intellectual partnership of our philanthropic partner, the Barr Foundation.  \nA team of researchers, writers, editors, project managers, and designers contributed to this report. In addition to the authors, CRPE researchers Steven Weiner, Lisa Chu, Tia Clinton, Janette Avelar, and Calen Clifton, as well as contributors Rebecca Wolfe, Shawn Rubin, and Maeve Murray, participated in research design, data collection, analysis, and review of this report. Dragana Bolcic-Jankovic and Ebony Haley at the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s Center for Survey Research supported survey design and implementation. Sarah McCann served as research project manager. Melissa Fall, Emily Prymula, Robin Lake, Lydia Rainey, and two external peer reviewers—Benjamin Master and Caitlin Sullivan—all contributed excellent feedback during the writing process. Emily Prymula designed the report and worked with Abby Jacobs to lead communications strategy.  \nAll conclusions expressed reflect those of the authors, and any errors or omissions are theirs alone.  \nCENTER ON REINVENTING PUBLIC EDUCATION  \nii  \nTHE TRANSFORMATION GAP: WHY MOTIVATED DISTRICT LEADERS PURSUE INCREMENTAL CHANGE  \n Executive Summary  \nIn one New England district, a district-wide high school redesign is creating a wallto-wall academy model that replaces siloed roles and classrooms with integrated academics, applied learning, and career pathways. In this model, \"every teacher has to think of themselves as being a part of the student's journey,\" rather than as solely responsible for a single subject. Teachers are expected to connect academic content to real-world pathways, with professional learning designed to support this shift in practice through immersion in industry settings.  \nIn another district, a years-long process has restructured academic access, dismantled tracking systems, and redesigned daily schedules to ensure high-level learning for everyone. High school students now almost universally take college-credit-bearing courses, and a daily \"flex block\" across all the districts’ schools enables students to receive targeted interventions and specialized services without missing core instruction.  \nWhat is transformational systems change?  \nThese examples illustrate an approach to improvement in public education that we call transformational systems change. Districts and their leaders pursuing this ","cbCaii1Y7FcEb9Ry","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaii1Y7FcEb9Ry","pdf",1724411,57,"English","# Acknowledgments\n# Executive Summary\n# Introduction: Why Transformational Systems Change?\n# Methods\n# Are Districts Trying to Transform?\n# What Shapes District Leaders' Change Efforts\n# Implications\n# Appendix A: Survey Methods\n# Appendix B: Survey Results\n## Appendix C: Artifact Elicitation Interview Methods\n## Appendix D: Examples of Transformational Systems Change Efforts","[{\"question\":\"What does the report mean by transformational systems change?\",\"answer\":\"It refers to reshaping how students experience school by designing entirely new ways of working, including changes to what students learn, how adults collaborate, how resources are distributed, and how decisions are made.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the report say incremental changes are not enough?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that school systems were not designed for equitable outcomes at scale, and political or fiscal pressures prevent districts from preparing students adequately through curriculum, program, or budgeting adjustments alone.\"},{\"question\":\"What research question guides the study?\",\"answer\":\"The study asks the extent to which school district leaders pursue transformational change and what shapes their decisions about which changes to pursue.\"}]","THE TRANSFORMATION GAP - WHY MOTIVATED DISTRICT LEADERS PURSUE INCREMENTAL CHANGE | PDF",1792046903,144]