Highlander Institute partners with communities to imagine and create more equitable, relevant, and effective schools.

OUR MODEL

Our Culturally Responsive School Change model offers school partners intensive coaching across our instructional, data, and change management frameworks. The three high-impact levers are:

We support education leaders to design, convene, and facilitate school improvement teams (design teams) that elevate family, student, and teacher voice in redesign efforts. We craft a shared vision, set goals, and develop action plans to improve both social-emotional and academic outcomes for all learners, particularly for those who are currently struggling.

We leverage our Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Pedagogy framework with 19 evidence-based practices to help teachers increase relevance and engagement. Our professional learning opportunities improve persistence, independence, and success within challenging curricula, creating joyful learning experiences that honor and celebrate all student identities.

We center student experiences as a key measure of instructional efficacy. Our innovative data tools quantify student perceptions around belonging, academic confidence, cognitive skills, and engagement. We study and compare data from various student populations, mobilizing stakeholders to take action to close gaps and replicate best practices.