Transformational Learning for Each Student—67,000 Times a Day

Case Study: Virginia Beach Public Schools (Virginia Bach, Va.)

Building defined and flexible, scalable structures to unlock insights and capacity across large, complex systems.

With 16 of its 82 schools not fully accredited, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system—long known for its outstanding schools—knew dramatic improvement was urgent. As a district proximal to a military base, the school always had some student transiency. Yet as surrounding population demographics also began to shift, the district found its ability to reach all students slipping. This coincided with the district’s vision to prepare all students for the demands of a technology-driven and global world with equity.

How, then, does a district with 67,000 students transform learning for each one of them? How do they build structures defined enough to create common understanding and cohesion towards goals and be flexible enough to meet the individual needs of all schools so that they in turn can meet the individual needs of all students? Very thoughtfully and deliberately.