Central Office Transformation Overview
What do central offices do when they support equitable teaching and learning?
At DL2, we have studied and partnered with school district leaders who have made that question their central focus. Their experience shows that it takes nothing short of transformation—fundamental shifts in how central offices work to center, elevate, and value the knowledge, cultures, and success of historically marginalized students.
Resources
Research
From tinkering to transformation: How school district central offices drive equitable teaching and learning (2023)
In this book, available from Harvard Education Press, we share our latest findings on the work of Teaching & Learning, Human Resources, Principal Supervision, Operations, and Cabinet.
Order From tinkering to transformationBook Here
How Schools Districts Can Support Deeper Learning (2015)
In this report for Jobs for the Future, we discuss our research findings on the importance of "performance alignment" throughout central offices for realizing deeper learning at scale.
Read How Schools Districts Can Support Deeper LearningReport Here
From Tinkering to Transformation: Strengthening School District Central Office Performance (2013)
This policy memo for the American Enterprise Institute shares our early research findings about central office transformation.
Read From Tinkering to TransformationMemo HereTools
AASA Podcast: How School District Central Offices Drive Equitable Teaching and Learning (2024)
This episode of AASA's Principal Supervisor podcast provides guidance on reconceiving the central office to help educational leaders build equity-aligned, research-based approaches to district reform—highlighting the unique role principal supervisors play as a bridge between schools and the district office.
Listen to How school district central offices drive equitable teaching and learningPodcast Here
AASA Podcast Series
These six podcast episodes are part of the AASA Principal Supervisor Podcast Series and focus on the book From tinkering to transformation: How school district central offices drive equitable teaching and Learning (Honig & Rainey, 2023).
Listen to AASAPodcast Series Here
Central Office Transformation for Equitable Teaching & Learning Self-Study Guide 2.0 (2025)
This tool helps central office leaders and their staff self-assess how they work in relation to the central office transformation research findings and develop action plans.
Download Central office transformation for equitable teaching & learning self-studyGuide HereMedia
Book Talk: From tinkering to transformation. Harvard University Gutman Library 2024
Listen to Meredith Honig speak with Professor Jen Cheatham about her 2023 book. The conversation focuses on key research findings and ideas for practice.
Watch to Book Talk: From tinkering to transformationInterview HereEveryone matters to equitable teaching and learning
Central office transformation is…. “not a policy or a program. It’s about rooting out racism and laying down new roots."
-Urban district superintendent