Use Improvement Science to identify and address the hidden barriers students face as they move between school levels.
Transitions between school levels—whether from elementary to middle school or middle to high school—are some of the most pivotal moments in a student’s educational journey. Yet they are often where students fall through the cracks. The leap in academic expectations, new social dynamics, unfamiliar routines, and changing school cultures can leave students feeling lost or disengaged before they’ve had the chance to succeed.
Improving school transitions requires more than orientation days or welcome assemblies. It calls for a deeper understanding of the systems, gaps, and mindsets that shape a student’s experience. That’s where Improvement Science comes in. This eight-week virtual course equips school teams with the tools to investigate transition-related challenges in their own setting—and take action to improve them in real time.
You’ll learn how to map out transition systems, identify the root causes of student struggles, and co-design practical, measurable solutions with staff, families, and students themselves. From reducing 9th-grade failure rates to improving 6th-grade attendance, this course supports your team in building data-informed approaches to transition that actually stick.
Whether you're seeing a drop in student engagement, a spike in discipline referrals, or academic backslides during transition years, Improvement Science gives your team the framework to learn your way into a better system—one that meets students where they are and carries them forward with confidence.
Help your students cross the bridge, not fall between the gaps. Register for the Improvement Science course today and start rethinking what’s possible for every transition point in your school community.
South Newton Elementary School in Newton, North Carolina faced a significant post-COVID absenteeism challenge, with 43% of students missing three or more days in the first quarter of the 2023-24 school year. By partnering with Schools That Lead and using Improvement Science, they reduced absenteeism to 27% in just one year.
Foothills Community School (FCS) in McDowell County, North Carolina, has long been recognized for its innovative approach to education, particularly in STEM learning. Since opening 2016, FCS has used Project-Based Learning (PBL) to foster student engagement and academic success. In 2023, the school was named a North Carolina STEM School of Distinction—a testament to its successful implementation of the STEM School Progress Rubric–further solidifying its reputation as a leader in hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
When a Rutherford County teacher sent handwritten postcards to five of her students, she couldn’t have predicted the ripple effect it would create. Her small idea became a model for building student connection, scaled and adapted by educators across North Carolina.
Schools That Lead:
The approximate number of K-12 students STL serves across two cohorts, 70% of whom live in poverty.
The proportion of STL NC NIC schools with graduation rates above the state average increased across both STL cohorts.
The majority of STL NC NIC schools saw greater declines in chronic absences than the state average.
The percentage of STL NC NIC participants reporting understanding how to implement school improvement ideas to address early warning indicators in their school (Since spring 2021)
“[I am] actually observing and recording immediate positive academic, attendance and/or behavioral results for students that need it the most. This is very empowering to me because I don’t have to wait for benchmarks, EOGs, or graduation to see that what I am doing for these students is moving them in the right direction!”
- North Carolina Teacher Leader
Reduce the number of students in your school with early warning indicators for attendance, behavior and course performance.
Embed proven improvement strategies in your context.
Make use of short-cycle, actionable data for classroom-based and school-wide improvement.
Harness the power of a network of like-minded educators across the state to accelerate improvement.
