For school superintendents and state education chiefs, life can be lonely at the top, particularly when launching comprehensive improvement efforts that seek to change the culture to improve collaboration, communication, and performance. In this issue of The Source, we share how Cognia, in partnership with AASA, the School Superintendent Association, are working together to transform the superintendency from one of America’s most “impossible jobs” into a profession with new norms of collaboration through just-in-time problem solving and the establishment of highly sophisticated online communities of practice.

In this edition, we explore how state education agencies can use accreditation to transform traditionally siloed, compliance-oriented bureaucracies into high-performing allies for district and school improvement. Cognia’s new SEA Accreditation is built on our recent work to identify characteristics of highly effective state education agencies and set standards for delivering on the promise of improvement beyond compliance. The process recognizes areas of effectiveness as well as identifies areas for improvement in state operations to improve support for districts and maximize efficiency.

The Source also explores key challenges in the classroom. We continue to chronicle changes in assessment that are beginning to mark a shift from end-of-year examinations to curriculum-aligned through-year assessments that provide timely, actionable information that can help teachers adjust instruction to the learning needs of individual students.

For immigrant children far from their native lands, being part of a multicultural learning environment while adapting to a new language can be further isolating. Students who have experienced chronic absenteeism can further drift from school and learning, and never find their way back.

To address these crucial challenges, we look at how a highly decorated teacher in Washington, D.C., uses students’ own cultures, family background, and the local community as assets in student learning. Also, we examine the value of stakeholder engagement in Early Learning programs and provide some background on how Cognia helped an elementary school and high school in Memphis overcome chronic absenteeism and transform their performance.

In this edition, let’s explore:

Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D.
Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D.,  serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cognia. Dr. Elgart works closely with government agencies and other leading education-focused organizations to help establish the policies, strategic vision, and actions to propel and transform the learning experience so that every learner is prepared for the rapidly and ever-changing global world. Dr. Elgart provides vision and leadership for a global nonprofit in over 90 countries, 40,000 institutions serving and supporting nearly 18 million students and 5 million educators every day. Cognia is an undeniable force for enhancing schools, engaging students, and driving better outcomes for all learners. Dr. Elgart’s professional experience includes serving as a mathematics and physics teacher; a middle and high school administrator; and a middle school principal. He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from Springfield College, a master’s in education from Westfield State College, and a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts.

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