CASE STUDIES
Aspire Public Schools
Case #1: From Ten Schools to 6 Million Kids
Determined that every kid in California receive a great education, Don Shalvey founded Aspire Public Schools in 1999 to provide an alternative to poor-performing public schools. By its fifth anniversary, Aspire was operating ten schools in the Central Valley and Bay Area. But Shalvey and his Aspire colleagues wanted to do more; they wanted to transform education for all kids in the state. To do that, they needed a plan.
Case #2: Building the Organizational Capacity for Healthy Growth
Two years into its aggressive expansion plan, Aspire Public Schools was on track in terms of school openings, but behind on its goals to add a layer of management. The schools were performing well, but the nonprofit’s leaders were stretched paper thin and concerned about the organization’s ability to perform in the face of more growth. Determined to build an organization that could support their expansion plans, the Aspire team took swift action. Here are the actions it took to grow the nonprofit organization.
Honing the Pathways of Growth
Founded in 1995, Houston-based Project Youth Engaged in Service (YES) pursues a comprehensive approach to helping students with limited resources achieve the dream of a college education. YES’s leadership initially kept the organization small, wanting to prove its educational model worked before expanding. But by 2004 with three integrated 6-12 campuses in operation, they were ready to grow.
Recommended Resources
There are many third-party resources that provide valuable insight into education. Below are several of our favorites.
Institute for Education Sciences
Created in 2002 by the Education Sciences Reform Act, the Institute for Education Sciences Web site features a wide range of education research as well as links to four specific centers focused on research, statistics, evaluation and special education.
Education Resources Information Center (ERIC database)
Searchable database of more than 1.2 million bibliographic records from journal articles, books, conference papers and other materials about education. Includes full-text links when available.
What Works Clearinghouse
An initiative of the Institute for Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse offers research evidence and teacher guides for educational practices that have been proven to work.
Education Sector
Education Sector is a nonprofit think tank "that challenges conventional thinking in education policy." The organization's stated mission is to promote policy and practice changes that will improve student opportunities and outcomes.
Education Week
Online publication dedicated to coverage of local, state and national news surrounding K-through-12 education.
Under the Microscope: Science Struggles in Schools
This KQED video segment examines some creative ways California schools are working to overcome the state's gap in science education.