Districts with success in system-wide student achievement used four common strategies.

1. Data- School and District Leaders conduct regular assessments of student achievement over the course of a year. They create a sense of urgency among teachers and in the community for the necessity of improving all students' learning and regularly report progress. Data are disaggregated and are transparent to everyone. Qualitative as well as quantitative data are used to understand student success. Data are used to intervene in schools that are having trouble and to provide more targeted professional development for teachers. Based on the data, specific strategies are implemented for low performing schools including extra resources, more frequent assessment, incentives for master teachers to work in these buildings, or IEPs for each student.
2. Curriculum- School and District Leaders adopt a single district-wide curriculum, especially focused on reading, that is aligned with state standards. Curricula are supplemented, where necessary, and accompanied by detailed pacing guides. In districts that use store-bought programs, leaders are extremely skilled at "unpacking" those programs, analyzing gaps between the material and the state learning standards, and supplementing the curriculum with very targeted materials.
3. Supervision, Evaluation, and Mentoring- School and District Leaders establish a mechanism for driving reforms into the classroom and then supervising and supporting teachers to implement them. They encourage a clarification of a widely shared vision of what good teaching is, including rigorous expectations, quality student engagement, and personalized learning for students. District leaders value mentoring, and take time to select and train master teachers to be mentors.
4. Professional Development- School and District leaders develop and implement a district-wide professional development plan and allow each school building to determine its own training and development based on its needs and student achievement gaps. Professional development is primarily on-site, intensive, collaborative, and job embedded. Professional development is designed and led by educators who model the best teaching and learning practices.