Bringing effective instructional practice to scale in American schools: Lessons from the Long Beach Unified School District

Abstract

Workforce and societal needs have changed significantly over the past few decades while educational approaches have remained largely the same over the past 50 years. Walk into any random classroom in the United States and you will likely see instruction being delivered to students in straight rows by teachers through lecture style. It is possible to find classrooms that utilize technology and cross-disciplinary projects to explore real-world problems, however, those are scarce and in high demand. If we are serious about transforming instruction to better prepare our students for a global society, we need to do it beyond one classroom, school, or zip code, Long Beach Unified school district provides an uncommon example of an education system that has successfully improved instruction across schools by improving the overall district system. This chapter details how the district created a strong coherent system by connecting the critical elements necessary to scale and sustain high quality instruction for all students, and ultimately, better prepare them for the changing demands of our country’s global economy.