Innovation takes root in collective practice.

School and District Partnerships

CEL works with urban, suburban, and rural school districts across the nation to support the improvement of teaching and learning. The map below highlights CEL's district partnerships (purple balloons)  as well as institute, workshop, and online course attendees (yellow balloons).  

View CEL's Reach in a larger map

Collaborators & Supporters

CEL works in collaboration with other organizations that share a commitment to quality teaching for student learning.  Contact us if your organization is interested in partnering to create a more powerful impact.

The Stuart Foundation

In 2008, CEL received a grant from the Stuart Foundation to expand the development of tools and resources based on CEL’s 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning (5D).  In addition, the grant supports CEL’s professional development partnerships with five school districts in Washington and California:  Marysville School District, Mount Baker School District, Spokane School District, Tacoma School District and Downey Unified School District (CA).  Although each CEL partnership funded by the Stuart Foundation is custom-designed to support the unique work happening in each district, all of the districts will receive training in analyzing classroom instruction using CEL’s 5D instructional framework.  This includes learning how to conduct guided school walkthroughs and participating in CEL’s 5D Instructional Leadership Assessment .   The districts will also pilot the use of online resources designed to facilitate study of each of the 5 Dimensions.  The first resource kit will focus on the dimension, “Purpose,” and will be piloted in autumn 2009.

Employers for Education Excellence (E3)

E3 is a Portland-based non-profit organization, founded in 1996 by the Oregon Business Council, to bring together employers and schools to improve student achievement.  CEL began working with the E3 Oregon Small Schools Initiative in 2007 to support its school reform work. 

During the 2009-2010 school year, CEL will work with the two Oregon schools participating in E3’s Proficiency-Based Instruction (PBI) project.  We will begin highlighting this ongoing learning through a dynamic website addition.  Check back in Fall 2009 to see how CEL captures and shares the learning of these teachers and leaders.

The Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington

An examination of the theory of action of CEL and research regarding its work in partnership with school districts was conducted by the University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.  Chrysan Gallucci, Principal Investigator for the CEL Research Project, led the qualitative research for this comparative case study of instructional leadership and improvement in three school districts:  The Highline School District (WA), Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District (CA), and the Marysville School District (WA).

The Panasonic Foundation

The Panasonic Foundation is a corporate foundation established in 1984 with a mission to improve public education in the United States by improving the academic and social success of all students.  CEL is working in partnership with the Panasonic Foundation to provide its New Jersey Superintendent Network with experience taking the 5D Instructional Leadership Assessment.

Northwest Educational Service District 189

The Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NW ESD 189) is one of nine educational service districts in the state that provides administrative and instructional support services to public school districts and all state-approved private schools.   The mission is to provide leadership and cooperative services to its educational communities in support of efforts to increase the number of students meeting state standards.  CEL is partnering with NW ESD 189 to offer a professional development program designed to develop the instructional leadership of teachers, administrators, and central office leaders using CEL’s 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning (5D).