The proposed study will incorporate the six drivers of systemic reform and a theoretical framework of school change into an empirical model to help explain the impact of a systemic reform effort on student achievement. Quasi-experimental studies involving four states (Louisiana, Montana, Colorado, and Illinois) are planned. Schools in an SSI state with high levels of involvement (treatment) will be contrasted with schools with low levels of involvement to allow the identification of the differing relationships among the drivers and student achievement that occur with different levels of involvement with an SSI within an SSI state. Results will also be compared to schools in non-SSI state. Information will be collected from approximately 60 schools in each SSI state (30 schools affected continuously by the SSI and 30 schools not directly affected by the SSI) and 30 schools in the non-SSI state. Site visits will be made to six schools within each state. Data will be collected with a variety of methods including student, teacher, and principal questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The student achievement data within each state will be used as the outcome measure. Analyses will range from simple descriptive statistics to complex modeling procedures.
