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From Compliance to Commitment: A CARE Coaching Case Study in Systemic Change
When Dr. Mario Andrade became Superintendent of the Nashua School District in New Hampshire, he walked into a challenging situation: the district was operating under a Department of Justice (DOJ) settlement agreement regarding its services for English Language Learners (ELL). For many educational leaders, a federal settlement is viewed as a rigid checklist of legal obligations. However, Dr. Andrade and his team chose to view this mandate through a different lens—not as a hurdle to clear, but as a “transformational” opportunity to fundamentally reshape teaching and learning across the entire district.
From Compliance to Commitment
The district’s leadership realized early on that simply applying a “quick fix” for ELL students would be insufficient. The settlement highlighted a broader need to improve “Tier 1 instruction”—the core teaching provided to all students in general education classrooms.
To achieve this, the district moved from a mindset of “compliance to commitment,” implementing a strategy defined by several key shifts:
- Broadening Access: Instead of keeping ELL students in silos with limited access to general curriculum, the district focused on access and opportunity for all students.
- Long-Term Planning: Rejecting the ineffective model of “one-day workshops,” they developed a comprehensive three-year professional development plan.
- Integrated Strategy: New initiatives in Math or ELA were not treated as add-ons but were connected directly to the core professional development plan, ensuring cohesion rather than fragmentation.
Addressing the “Adaptive” Challenge
A critical turning point in the district’s journey was distinguishing between “technical” and “adaptive” challenges—a concept drawn from educational research.
- Technical Challenges involve tools and resources, such as buying a new curriculum.
- Adaptive Challenges involve changing people’s hearts, minds, and beliefs.
The Superintendent noted that while technical fixes are easier, sustainable change requires addressing the adaptive side: specifically, the belief systems regarding what students are capable of achieving. The district had to confront the reality that low performance wasn’t just a student issue, but a systems issue. By raising the bar for Tier 1 instruction, they focused on “collective efficacy”—the shared belief among educators that they can positively impact student outcomes.
The Power of Co-Development
The Superintendent emphasized that this relationship was successful because it was rooted in “co-development” rather than a transactional vendor relationship.
- No Canned Products: The partner did not sell a pre-packaged solution but helped the district brainstorm and problem-solve based on their specific context.
- Root Cause Analysis: The partners acted as “detectives,” helping district leaders identify the root causes of their challenges.
- Safe Spaces: The collaboration created a safe environment for leaders to be vulnerable, reflective, and honest about where they needed to improve.
Building for Sustainability
Ultimately, the district aimed to create a culture of continuous improvement that would outlast any single initiative. By anchoring their work in a three-year plan and constantly revisiting their core beliefs through data and “learning walks,” the leadership ensured that these changes were sustainable. As the Superintendent concluded, true sustainability comes from aligning the entire system—from the central office to the classroom—around a shared vision of student success.
