About Strategic Learning InitiativesSLI is engaged in research and policy development. An example is the recent book by SLI President John Simmons, Breaking Through: Transforming Urban School Districts Teachers College Press Columbia University. SLI was the lead witness for the Hearing on Turnaround Schools held by the US House Committee on Education and Labor, May, 2010. Our work has been featured on Education Week's front page, January 6, 2010.SLI's vision and strategies are grounded in the best systemic research over forty years in education, organizational behavior and continuous quality improvement. SLI leaders, board and staff, have each had decades of experience in leading systemic change in their own schools and corporations. Over the past twenty years, we have worked in more than sixty-five Chicago Public Schools (CPS).Strategic Learning InitiativesSLI_40de62ca-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10Strategic Learning Initiatives is a Chicago nonprofit dedicated to accelerating student, adult and organizational learning. We work with schools with the lowest income families in Chicago, across Illinois and in Los Angeles.ChildrenFamiliesthe lowest income families in Chicago, across Illinois and in Los Angeles.Schoolsin Chicago, across Illinois and in Los Angeles -- ... In our most recently completed neighborhood network of eight "failed" CPS elementary schools that were to be closed or reconstituted, three turned around their scores and culture in one year, three more the second year and two the third year. Several network schools have nearly closed the achievement gap, ie having 90 percent of their students at or above proficiency. We are working on the design to scale the results across districts with 50 to 100 schools with students that are below 90 percent proficiency in 7 years.LearnersCommunities of learnersSLI Financial SupportersFinancial support for SLI has come from the Chicago Board of Education, individual CPS schools, the CPS Office of Early Childhood Development, the Illinois State Board of Education (Federal Recovery Act Funding), plus the generous commitment of foundations, corporations and individual supporters. They have included: The Chicago Community Trust, Cisco Foundation Ford Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Woods Fund of Chicago, Boeing Company, McCormick Foundation, The Prince Charitable Trusts, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Motorola Foundation, Steans Family Foundation, plus anonymous foundations and individuals.Chicago Board of EducationCPS Office of Early Childhood DevelopmentIllinois State Board of Education(Federal Recovery Act Funding)Chicago Community TrustCisco FoundationFord FoundationPolk Bros. FoundationWoods Fund of ChicagoBoeing CompanyMcCormick FoundationPrince Charitable TrustsLloyd A. Fry FoundationMotorola FoundationSteans Family FoundationSLI BOARD OF DIRECTORSJOHN SIMMONSPresident,Strategic Learning Initiatives, Formerly World BankED BALESChairman -- HSU/Galvin InstituteWALLACE WINTERTreasurer -- Formerly, Supervisory Attorney, Legal AssistanceFoundation of Metropolitan ChicagoSALVATORE PERIDirector -- Executive Consultant, The Jasper Group, Formerly, President of Alford GroupExecutive SearchJIM STUARTFounding Partner, Noble Purpose Partners,Formerly Quaker OatsDICK DANIELSDirector -- Daniels AssociatesSLI STAFFJohn SimmonsPresidentVanessa Atkins Ed.D.Professional Development FacilitatorCharlotte Blackman, Ed.D.Shared Leadership ManagerMary CancholaFamily Engagement ManagerMary Lynn Cavey, Ed.D.Shared Leadership FacilitatorLinda H. Coles, Ed.D.High School FacilitatorSusan JensenAdvancement ConsultantTerezka JirasekProfessional Development ManagerHattie KingShared Leadership FacilitatorKaren MorrisDirector of Educational ProgramsJennifer OlsonProfessional Development FacilitatorLaura ReyesAdministrative AssistantShirley Scott, Ed.D.Shared Leadership FacilitatorMichelle StankeviciusProfessional Development FacilitatorFrances E. StarksProfessional Development FacilitatorMonica ThompsonFinance AssistantCris WhiteheadDirector of Family EngagementThat all children will be excellent lifelong learners and achieve their maximum potential in schools in which we work._40de6400-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10To support communities of learners using research-based, high performance strategies, emphasizing shared leadership, professional development and family engagement to improve the education of children._40de64d2-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10CultureStrategic Learning Initiatives values include creating a culture of collaboration, trust, open communication, integrity, respect, continuous improvement and stakeholder empowerment.OpennessCollaborationTrustCommunicationIntegrityRespectContinuous ImprovementWe focus on the continuous improvement of the model to accelerate its impact on student and adult learning, by reducing the cost, and shortening the time needed to complete the turnaround and transformation process. EmpowermentStudent PerformanceImprove student performance_40de6630-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de101Improved Student Performance -- the core methodology has quickly produced impressive and significant improvements in student performance across grade levels and within core subject matter, validated through independent analysis, testing and research._40de670c-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10SustainabilityCreate sustainable, world-class teaching and learning in schools_40de678e-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de102A Self Sustaining System -- by teaching, training, modeling, coaching and guiding existing staff, there is a transfer of learning in the application of best practice skills and transformation principles. This creates a world-class teaching and learning system within a school and a sustainable and scalable model that enables all schools in a district to take full responsibility for their performance._40de684c-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10LeadershipIncrease leadership capabilities_40de6900-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de103PrincipalsTeachersIncreased Leadership Supply -- by engaging principles, teachers and leadership teams in the transformation process, everyone learns how to create the core values of a high performance culture, and everyone becomes more capable of providing leadership throughout the school system in the future._40de69b4-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10Teacher TurnoverReduce teacher turnover_40de6a72-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de104Reduced Teacher Turnover -- SLI's transformation model creates a culture of inclusion, collaboration, consistency and continuous improvement. Teachers that contribute to the transformation of a school using this model experience both a skill and motivation increase as they see the results they are able to create and sustain. Few teachers leave such a school._40de6b26-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10Family InvolvementExpand family involvement_40de6be4-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de105Familiesof studentsExpanded Family Involvement -- families become an extension of the teaching staff, expanding capacity and engaging the community_40de6cb6-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10TeachingIncrease excellence in teaching_40de6d6a-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de106TeachersIncreased Excellence in Teaching -- deep instruction and standards based assessments provide a comprehensive model for planning and delivering world-class teaching. It quickly upgrades the skill and capability of all teachers, resulting in improved student performance in the first three - six months._40de6e46-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10TransformationTransforms schools without removing staff_40de6f2c-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de107A Second Generation Transformation Model -- the transformation model does not require the removal of the staff, as the first generation model does._40de6fb8-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de10CostReduce the cost per school_40de7076-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de108Economical Solutions — cost per school is far less than first generation models that do not offer comparable benefits in sustainability or in improving leadership supply. Approximately four schools can be supported through the SLI model for the cost of one school using the first generation models._40de7184-b31e-11e5-a57d-83d7ca82de102016-01-04http://www.strategiclearning.org/home/aboutOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net