School Transformation

Partnering with schools for better education and better futures

Partnering with schools for better education and better futures.

TransformED expands access to our learning model so students of our partner schools will learn to succeed — not for standards or teacher expectations, not to compete in the workforce, not for personal gain and prestige — but so they can position themselves to create the world they envision personally, communally, nationally, and globally.

Imagine a public school...

Imagine a public school that redefines STEM literacy, equitable education, and what it means to be a well-educated 21st-century student. Imagine a school known for encouraging innovation, for pushing the limits of what is expected, delivering curriculum in a way that is relevant to real-world needs and goals of students, that creates an environment that promotes academic success through a social justice lens. Public schools like this exist.

Through our TransformED program, we partner with willing school districts to expand best practices in leadership used to eliminate race-based disparity in academic achievement and promote the highest level of student learning and teacher development. By implementing our STEMbyTAF Model in existing public schools, we are able to impact thousands of students across Washington State furthest from educational justice.

Every TransformED partner school signs on to, and receives support, to realize this vision for their school.

What Leaders Say About TransformED

Boze Elementary recently completed the full five-year transformation process and has now become the first School Transformation Network Partner. See what school leadership says about how our model is impacting students.

The TransformED Process

One of the many unique qualities of our work is we do it all in partnership. TAF staff spend the time getting to know the district, schools and community. We primarily hire staff who are part of the community the school resides in. We build relationships with local businesses and organizations on behalf of the school to ensure students get exposure to a variety of careers and have an understanding of how they can improve their community through their school work.

During the Partnership Building phase, the following activities happen and key decisions are made:

Identify school: The Superintendent approves the school chosen to be a part of the TransformED program.
Presentation: TAF presents the opportunities of the TransformED program to the staff, enabling staff to ask questions and enter in a dialog about the process.
School staff vet TransformED: The most important step is for educators to get a full understanding of what it means to be a TransformED school. TAF sets up visits to our existing schools so educators can have the peer-to-peer interaction to discuss the successes and challenges of changing your pedagogy and school culture.
Teachers vote: TAF requires that at least 80% of the teachers approve the school entering the TransformED program. To date, the average is well over 90%.
Proposal: After spending time with the school team, TAF presents a proposal for TransformED implementation.
Staffing support provided by TAF: Either TAF provides a fulltime instructional coach or TAF will train the school instructional coach over the five-year implementation period.
MOU: A memorandum of understanding outlining how the partnership will go forward is signed by the School Board, Superintendent and TAF
Contract: A formal contract outlining the service delivery and fee structure is signed by the District and TAF.

During the Strategy and Training phase, the following activities happen and key decisions are made:

School planning: The school team and TAF co-create a workplan for the first year.
Teacher training: Teachers and administrators attend the week-long STEMbyTAF Summer Teacher Institute along with other TransformED educators.

For each of the five years of implementation, the school team and TAF work in collaboration to address the needs of the school community as outlined in the proposal and workplans. In addition, the school staff become members of the STEMbyTAF Network where they will have the opportunity to collaborate and share resources with other educators.

School Eligibility

Public school profiles must have:

Plus, schools must also have at least one of the following criteria:

At least 70% student population of color
More than 40% students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch
More than 15% students in special education
School qualifies for Title I Federal assistance
School is in state mandated turn-around status
Students' standardized state test scores are consistently below the state and district averages

Explore Our School Partners

The success of transformation relies on strong partnerships with willing and committed school districts.
Currently, 6 public schools from 3 school Washington State school districts (Federal Way Public Schools, Tacoma Public Schools, and Highline Public Schools) are enrolled in TransformED.