An exploration of the experiences of a group of school leaders undertaking a systemic effort to eliminate the achievement gap in their high-performing suburban district

Achievement gaps are not limited to lower socioeconomic or underperforming school districts. On the contrary, many of the nation's highest-performing suburban schools experience significantly lower college applications, higher drop out rates and disproportionately low representation in AP and honors-level courses amongst their black, Hispanic and lower income students. Despite legal mandates that hold all schools accountable for raising achievement in their low-performing sub-groups, leaders of high-performing suburban schools often lack sufficient skill to address equity issues and, consequently, may be reluctant to challenge long-standing structures of power and privilege in their school communities. While case studies are often effectively used as learning tools in many administrator preparation programs, research examining the achievement gap work of leaders in this demographic is limited. This case study chronicles the experiences of a high-performing suburban district that has worked for over twenty years to address its achievement gaps. While various initiatives have been employed over the tenures of two superintendents, the district's shift four years ago to a systemic approach appears to be making a difference. This study informs the reader of the challenges and lessons learned as reported by eleven of the districts' leaders and analyzes their actions through the perspectives of organizational change and social justice theories. It is intended to provide practical insight that may be used by leaders of other high-performing suburban districts as they prepare to implement their own achievement gap initiatives.