Responding to the needs of a failing school is one of the most pressing challenges education leaders face. This assessment of the Washington High School case study is astute, paying attention to the need for top-down organizational structure and culture change. It is important for all administrators and educators to be honest and self-assess the situation, in order to come up with the most cogent and meaningful solutions to the problem. Indeed, the first step is total evaluation of the system. Unfortunately, even principles have their hands tied when it comes to being unable to transform educational policies. Educational policies are determined by politicians, often those with little knowledge of what actually occurs on the ground in the real world of education. In spite of this significant drawback to effective educational policy, education leaders and administrators can implement localized policies and programs that can change the normative cultures of their institutions.

The administrative team does need to evaluate their own daily routines, and possibly do more hands-on work such as walking around and monitoring classrooms. All education needs to be conceptualized as a collaborative activity, with a community-oriented approach. Growing education means developing talent at every level, from the ground up. Correcting...

Complacency among educators is a major issue, as many teachers feel powerless in the face of the bureaucracy and an insensitive and unresponsive political administration. Declining student achievement needs to be taken into perspective, relevant to the overall culture. School shootings and other violent outbursts are only symptomatic of the underlying problems in the disconnected and dysfunctional society. This proposed plan of action takes into account not just the grades and other tangible elements of student achievement but to the ultimate goals of education itself. Student achievement is not just measured in terms of specific tests and assessment measures but also in other ways.
Therefore, models for improvement do include changing the evaluation processes. Evaluation procedures need to be evidence-based. They also need to be realistic and not just developed by those who are distant from the day-to-day operations in schools. Theories need to be…